ICE STORAGE TYPE WATER COOLER, AND ITS OPERATION CONTROL METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ice storage type water cooler capable of adjusting a ratio of an amount of ice and an amount of cold water in an ice storage tank. SOLUTION: The ice storage type water cooler is provided with a heat exchanger 1 producing supercooled water, the ice storage tank 2 storing ice and cold water, a circulation passage 3 formed between the heat exchanger 1 and the ice storage tank 2, and a make-up water passage 4 supplying make-up water to the circulation passage 3 in an inlet side of the heat exchanger 1. The water cooler is characterized in that there is provided an ice filling factor control means 25 for controlling an ice filling factor indicating a proportion of ice and cold water in the ice storage tank 2. The ice filling factor is controlled in response to a make-up water temperature. Control of the ice filling factor is carried out by adjusting a temporal proportion of supercooling operation carrying out supercooling in the heat exchanger 1, and non-supercooling operation not carrying out supercooling in the heat exchanger 1. Furthermore, a change-over of the supercooling operation and the non-supercooling operation is carried out by changing an inlet temperature of the heat exchanger 1, or a supply flow rate to the heat exchanger 1. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI