System and method for recycling energy from ice remnants

Abstract

A system for recycling energy from ice remnants. The system includes a container. The container includes a receptacle configured to receive ice remnants. An ice capturing and melting device below the receptacle is configured to capture and melt ice in the ice remnants while allowing fluid in the ice remnants to pass therethrough thereby forming a cooled recycled liquid at a bottom of the container. A discharge port located proximate the bottom of the container is configured to direct the cooled recycled liquid to at least one heat source of a facility and cool the heat source.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for recycling energy from ice remnants, the system comprising:
 a container including:
 a receptacle configured to receive discarded ice remnants from a facility; 
 an ice capturing and melting device below the receptacle configured to capture and melt ice in the ice remnants while allowing fluid in the ice remnants to pass therethrough thereby forming a cooled recycled ice liquid at a bottom of the container; and 
 a discharge port located proximate the bottom of the container configured to direct the cooled recycled liquid to at least one heat source of the facility and cool the heat source. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  in which the ice remnants include discarded beverage remnants. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  in which the ice remnants include discarded ice. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  in which the ice remnants include a mixture of discarded ice and a fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  in which the facility includes a food service facility. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  in which the facility includes a skating facility. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  in which the ice capturing and melting device includes a plurality of screens. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  in which the plurality of screens includes screens with different mesh sizes each configured to trap ice in the ice remnants having different sizes. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  in which the plurality of screens are configured to be progressively layered with screens having different sizes. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  further including a gas collection device coupled downstream from the at least one heat source configured to remove and collect gas from the cooled recycled liquid. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  further including an output port for downstream from the gas collection device configured to output a final output fluid. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  in which the final output fluid is at a predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  in which the final output fluid is configured as an energy product including dissolved ingredients of nutritional value in the ice remnants. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  further including a line configured to deliver the energy product to a garden at the facility. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  in which the energy product is configured to attract desired birds and/or desired insects to the garden to draw customers to the facility. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13  in which the energy product is configured to be used for manufacturing a feed product for animals. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  in which the container includes at least one gas intake port configured to receive hot/humid gas and direct the gas through the ice capturing and melting device to assist in the melting of the ice to form the cooled recycled liquid. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  in which the container includes at least one gas intake port configured to receive a hot/humid gas and direct the gas through the ice capturing and melting device to form a cooled de-humidified gas in the container. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  in which the container further includes at least one gas output port configured to direct the cooled de-humidified gas to the facility and/or a different facility. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  in which the at least one gas output port is configured to direct the cooled de-humidified gas to a HVAC system of the facility and/or a different facility. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1  in which the container includes a plurality of receptacles. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1  further including a plurality of containers. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1  further including a plurality of receptacles located at different locations of the facility coupled to each other and configured to deliver the ice remnants to the container. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1  further including a plurality of receptacles located at different locations of the facility coupled to each other and configured to deliver the ice remnants to a plurality of containers. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1  in which the cooled recycled liquid is directed to a different facility to cool at least one heat source at the different facility. 
     
     
         26 . A system for recycling energy from ice remnants, the system comprising:
 a container including:
 a receptacle configured to receive ice remnants; 
 an ice capturing and melting device below the receptacle configured to capture and melt ice in the ice remnants while allowing fluid in the ice remnants to pass therethrough thereby forming a cooled recycled liquid at a bottom of the container; 
 at least one gas intake port configured to receive a hot/humid gas and direct the hot/humid gas towards the ice capturing and melting device to assist in the melting of the ice to form the cooled recycled liquid and configured to create a de-humidified gas in the container; 
 a discharge port located proximate the bottom of the container configured to direct the cooled recycled liquid to at least one heat source of a facility and cool the heat source; and 
 at least one gas output configured to direct the cooled de-humidified gas to the facility. 
   
     
     
         27 . A method for recycling energy from ice remnants, the method comprising:
 receiving ice remnants from a facility;   providing an ice capturing and melting device configured capture and melt ice in the ice remnants while allowing fluid in the ice remnants to pass therethrough thereby forming a cooled recycled liquid; and   directing the cooled recycled liquid to at least one heat source of the facility and cool the heat source.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  further including the step of collecting gas from the cooled recycled liquid. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  further including the step of receiving hot/humid gas and directing the hot/humid gas through the ice capturing and melting device to assist in the melting of the ice to form the cooled recycled liquid. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27  further including the step of directing hot/humid gas through the ice capturing and melting device to form a cooled de-humidified gas. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  further including the step of directing the de-humidified gas to the facility and/or a different facility. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  further including the step of directing the cooled de-humidified gas to an HVAC system of the facility and/or a different facility. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27  further including the step of gradually warming the cooled recycled liquid such that any dissolved carbon dioxide therein gases out to form a liquid energy product. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further including the step of capturing the carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  further including the step of directing the carbon dioxide to a greenhouse to facilitate photosynthesis simulation. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33  further including the step of directing the liquid energy product to a predetermined location at the facility. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  further including the step of directing the energy product to a garden to attract desired birds and/or desired insects to the garden and to draw customers to the facility. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 27  further including the step of using the energy product to manufacture feed products for animals. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 27  in which the energy product includes one or more of dissolved sugars, flavorings, and ingredients originally present in the ice remnants. 
     
     
         40 . A method for recovering an energy product from beverage remnants, the method comprising:
 receiving beverage remnants from a facility;   providing an ice capturing and melting device configured to capture and melt ice in the beverage remnants while allowing fluid in the beverage remnants to pass therethrough thereby forming a cooled recycled liquid; and   gradually warming the cooled recycled liquid such that any dissolved carbon dioxide therein gases out and forms a liquid energy product.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  further including the step of directing the energy product to a predetermined location. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40  further including the step of directing the energy product to a garden. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40  further including the step of capturing the carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  further including the step of directing the carbon dioxide to a greenhouse to facilitate photosynthesis stimulation. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 40  further including the step of using the energy product to manufacture a food product for animals. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42  further including the step of using the energy product to attract desired birds and/or insects to draw customers to the facility. 
     
     
         47 . A method for recycling energy from ice remnants, the method comprising:
 receiving ice remnants from a facility;   providing an ice capturing and melting device configured capture and melt ice in the ice remnants while allowing fluid in the ice remnants to pass therethrough thereby forming a cooled recycled liquid;   receiving hot/humid gas and directing the hot/humid gas through the ice capturing and melting device to assist in the melting of the ice and to form a cooled de-humidified gas;   directing the cooled recycled liquid to at least one heat source of a facility and cool the heat source; and   
       directing the cooled de-humidified gas to the facility.