AHAM Update to DOE on Status of 

Maker Energy Test Procedure

November 19, 2009

EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
Introduction

May 2009 - AHAM members agree to develomaker energy test procedureJune 2009 – Discussion with DOE on feasibiincluding ice maker energy in 2014 test procJuly 2009 July 2009 – HRF-1 task force meeting to dev

1 task force meeting to dev

preliminary test procedure (included non-mastakeholders)

August/September 2009 – Initial testing to prtest procedure

2

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Overview of Procedure

Allow ice maker to fill – deactivate harvSet unit at mid/mid controls settingRun unit until stability is achieved

Calculate EP1, T1

Allow ice maker to start making iceCollect many hours of data to be evalu

Time 0 will be at the start of a compressoDetermine where temperature data stabilDetermine EP3, T3

3

EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
Determination of Ice Maker Energy

IET = IEP/W x Factor

IET = Test cycle energy expended to produce ice IEP = Energy expended in kWh to produce ice dperiodW = Weight in pounds of ice produced and harveFactor = Daily ice production factor correspondinaverage daily amount of ice produced during norhousehold use under typical conditions

IEP is normalized to energy per expended peof ice

4

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Ice Use Factor

Data from 3 consumer surveys & 3 fietestsDetermined average weighted lb/day removing highest and lowest valueFactor = 1.8 lb/day

Total sample size = 155

5

EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
Preliminary Testing

51 units tested7 manufacturers7 product classesAverage ice maker energy use = 83 kStandard deviation = 28 kWh/y ( ear 

(C

34%)

Note: Thermodynamic energy required to 90°F water to 0°F ice is approximately 39 

6

EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
Concerns

Variability

Control technology (i.e., electronic or standaimpacts energy use impacts energy useLocation of the ice storage bin impacts energCalculated energy is dependent on which compressor/ice maker cycles are used to caEP3Variation from Manufacturer to Manufacturer design)

Several units did not achieve stability during Ti i t i t t Time intensive test

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EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
Next Steps

Compare actual tests performed by each manufacturer versus the written proceduend NovemberDetermine language to provide clarificatithe test proced re the test procedure – end December end DecemberAdditional testing of units – end FebruaryRound robin testing of one or two units Round robin testing of one or two units – 

April

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EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
Definitions

EP1 (10 CFR 430 B, A1) – Energy expein kWh during the first part of the testT1 (10 CRF 430 B A1) – length of time, iminutes, of the first part of the testEP3 (new) – Energy expended in kWh d

the test when the ice maker making and 

harvesting ice harvesting iceT3 (new) – length of time, in minutes, whmaker is making g and harvesting ice

9

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Bin Frequency

20 030 040 050 660 1070 580 390 5

100 7110 4120 5130 3140 2150 1160 0

468

1012

Frequency

Pass 1 ‐ Distribution of Ice Maker Energy Us

170 0180 0190 0200 0

More 0

02

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 

Energy use (kWh/year)

EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
Aggregation of Pass 1 Ice Maker Energy Data ‐ Updated October 28, 2009

By DOE Product Class

Data

DOE Product Class Count of IET (kWh/day) Average of IET (kWh/day) Average of IET (kWh/year) StdDev of IET (kWh/year) 

3 7 0.21 77 39.7 5 11 0.22 82 21.8 

7 15 0.21 75 27.4 

19 13 0.26 96 25.6 

By Control‐Type (Electronic vs. Standard)

Data

Control‐type Count of IET (kWh/day) Average of IET (kWh/day) Average of IET (kWh/year) StdDev of IET (kWh/year) 

Electronic 36 0.23 85 25.0 

Standard 15 0.22 80 35.6 By Location of Ice Storage (Freezer or Fresh Food)

Data

Ice storage Count of IET (kWh/day) Average of IET (kWh/day) Average of IET (kWh/year) StdDev of IET (kWh/year) 

Freezer 38 0.22 79 28.0 

Fresh Food 13 0.26 96 25.6 

Overall

Count Average of IET (kWh/day) Average of IET (kWh/year) StdDev of IET (kWh/year) 

51 0.23 83 28.2 

Several units did not achieve stability during the test.Time to reach stability (for those products that were able to) ranged from 1‐2 hours to 16 hours.kWh/lb vaires, depending on whether harvest occdurs during on‐cycle or off‐cycle.

EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
DRAFT 

5/18/09 

Proposal for consideration by AHAM Refrigerator-Freezer DOE Task Force Re Ice 

Production Energy Consumption Measurement 

Page 1 of 2 

PROPOSED NEW SECTION 5.8.2.2. 

5.8.2.2.1 5.8.2.2. Ice Production Energy Consumption. The energy consumption 

used to freeze and harvest ice (collectively referred to as “produce”, 

“producing” or “production” of ice) shall be determined by the test 

method set forth in this section. For refrigerator-freezers and freezers 

equipped with automatic icemakers, the energy determined under this 

section shall be added to the per-day energy consumption as specified in 

section 5.8.2.1 such that the combined per-day energy consumption shall 

represent the energy consumed by the test unit under typical room 

conditions with the automatic icemaker operational and producing a 

normal quantity of ice for an adjusted 24-hour period of operation. This 

section shall be used to determine the per-day ice production energy for all 

refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers which are intended for use 

with an icemaker, including all units sold to consumers with an installed 

icemaker or designed to accept an installation of an automatic icemaker in 

the field.

5.8.2.2.15.8.2.2.2 With the temperature controls set at the settings provided under 

section 5.6.2.1.1, measure the energy consumption of the test unit during 

the test period as specified in section 5.7 with the automatic icemaker 

operative and producing ice. Inlet water temperature to the icemaker shall 

be controlled to 60◦ F during the energy testing. If consumer activated 

controls are provided for manually adjusting the ice production rate, the 

energy test shall be performed with the controls set at the fastest ice 

production such that the automatic icemaker produces ice at its fastest rate, 

consistent with section 5.5.2.f. If consumer activated controls are 

provided for manually increasing the ice production rate above the normal 

rate and automatically returning the ice production rate to the normal rate, 

the energy test shall be performed with the controls set at the normal ice 

production. If no consumer activated controls are provided, ice production 

rates shall not be modified during the energy test from the normal ice 

production rates during normal consumer use. 

5.8.2.2.25.8.2.2.3 Determine the energy consumption used to produce ice by 

subtracting the energy consumption measured under section 5.6.2.1.1

during the test period as specified in section 5.7 with the icemaker in a

normally powered-on condition but prevented from making or harvesting 

ice by a sensed ice bin-full condition. inoperative but disabled due to an 

EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
DRAFT 

5/18/09 

Proposal for consideration by AHAM Refrigerator-Freezer DOE Task Force Re Ice 

Production Energy Consumption Measurement 

Page 2 of 2 

ice-bin-full condition from the energy measured under 5.8.2.2.1. This 

difference is the ice production energy expended in kWh during the test 

period (IEP). 

5.8.2.2.35.8.2.2.4 Weigh the ice produced into the ice storage bucket during the test 

period as provided under section 5.8.2.2.1. Weight (W) shall be measured 

in lbs (g). 

5.8.2.2.45.8.2.2.5 Calculate Per-Day Ice Production Energy. The energy 

consumption in kWh/day for ice production shall be calculated as follows: 

IET = IEP/W × Factor 

where 

IET = Test cycle energy expended to produce ice in kWh/day 

IEP = Energy expended in kWh to produce ice during the test period, as 

determined under section 5.8.2.2.2. 

W = Weight in lbs of the ice produced and harvested into the ice 

storage bucket during the test period as provided under section 

5.8.2.2.1. 

Factor = Daily ice production factor corresponding to the average daily 

amount of ice produced during normal household use under 

typical conditions (TBD). 

5.8.2.2.5 This section 5.8.2.2. shall be used to determine the per-day ice production 

energy for all refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers which are 

intended for use with an icemaker, including all units sold to consumers 

with an installed icemaker or designed to accept an installation of an 

automatic icemaker in the field.

EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
Comments/Observations/Questions from the R‐F Summit in May and Further Discussions on

Ice making Energy Testing for HRF‐1 task Force Meeting – July 14, 2009

1. Need to define normal quantity of ice

To be discussed during July 16 meeting.

2. Inlet water temperature of 60 ° F is not realistic – should be the same as test ambient

(90 ° F +/‐ 1° F)

Seems like water temperature should be the same as the test cell temperature.  Any

other temperature would pose an added complexity to the test.

Final proposal on water temperature:  90 degrees F for water temp +/‐ 3 degrees F.

Final proposal on water pressure:  60 +/‐ 30 psig.     

  

3. Should be ice bin, not ice bucket

Suggest “ice storage bin.” In the definitions, 3.7 uses “storage bin.”

Need to specify somewhere in standard that the test must be on the ice maker/bin

shipped with the product.  Section 5.5.2 in HRF‐1‐2008 covers set‐up.

4. Weight should be specified to nearest 0.01 lb

This is the tolerance specified in 5.4.5.  Also include metric equivalents (4.5 g) to weight

and all other measurements.

Open item.  Look at magnitude of values and additional data.  Keep rounding to metric

consistent with policies and procdures.

  

5. Develop definitions of inoperative and disabled

This has to be consistent with 5.5.2.c) and 5.8.2.2.2.   Suggest “inoperative but ON or

energized” may be clearer and better language.

See comments in 5.8.2.2.2

6. Need to clarify when start making ice – ideally when start defrost.  How will ice maker

be initiated without opening the door?  

This needs some careful attention to make sure we aren’t missing anything when the

various types of units, controls, and defrost systems are factored in.  Seems to makes

sense to start the ice making energy test at the same time in the cycle that the

traditional energy test is initiated and to have the same duration (say for the standard

or long term defrost tests but not the variable test segment).  Since the unit has to be

stabilized before the test, that would preclude opening the door to turn on the

icemaker.   Perhaps units can be modified to allow energizing the icemaker without

opening doors?   Also, is the storage bin large enough to accommodate all the ice

produced during the test without the icemaker shutting off?  Should any ice be in the

bin when the test starts (see comment below also)?

EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
• Run standard energy test at mid‐mid and cold/cold or warm/warm to bracket

39/0 degrees F (T1, EP1).

• Run ice maker energy test at mid‐mid and cold/cold or warm/warm to bracket

39/0 at stable run conditions.

• Show cabinet stable (T1, EP1 – already done) with ice maker off

• How turn on ice maker?    Turn on ice maker (open door and turn on –

switch/bale/other) – immediately go into harvest cycle.  Start measurement to

coincide with a compressor on (remove any energy data before first compressor

on).

• Monitor energy over 3 hours, 6 hours, 9 hours,... 15 hours (if possible) to

understand time necessary for decreasing test variability.

• Compare T1 and T3 (x% difference) in both compartments.    If too high, may

need to adjust.  If can’t meet criteria – how deal with?  Handled in the past by

saying coldest is the test point.  Monitor during this draft phase.

• Weigh amount of ice at end of test.

• Compare differential energy consumption between EP1 and EP3.

• Interpolate to 39/0 with non‐IM portion, then add [interpolated to 39/0] IM

part at mid‐mid.  

• For traditional product (mechanical) – how deal with defrost?   Run defrost to

defrost?  Harvest with defrost? Defrost would need to be in baseline, and then it

would be substracted out.

o Assumption 1:  water present in ice maker does not affect defrost time

o Assumption 2:    removing defrost cycle and harvest after defrost will

have some impact on energy per lb (?) – but necessary to simplify

approach.   

• Specify that W is dependent on the number of cycles included in T3, EP3 test (do

not include cycles prior to first compressor start).    Test period – energy

measurements – not entire period.

7. What do if product shipped with no ice maker – this could be a loophole.  What energy

is tested/reported?  This topic needs more discussion.

It seems like Whirlpool’s 5.8.2.2.5 covers this.   If the unit is designed to accept an

icemaker at any point, it has to be tested with it.

Consumer – compare at time of purchase – want to compare unit‐to‐unit.

Not dealing with how energy added to standard.  Issue is how should units be tested to

get ice maker energy number.

Report two numbers?   Without and with an icemaker?    Reporting could be an issue.  

DOE/FTC needs to deal with.

8. Should crushing/dispensing energy be included?  The task force decided that this

energy is relatively small compared to that of making ice and will not be included

Suggest postponing this consideration for another rulemaking

This will not be addressed.  Too much variation.

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EERE-2009-BT-TP-0003 DOC ID 1.3.001
9. Ice Storage Bin condition

Whirlpool suggests that the portion of the energy test that does not measure ice making

energy be conducted “with the ice bin filled with ice to trigger a sensed ice‐bin‐full

condition or with a simulated ice load designed to trigger the ice‐bin‐full condition and

produce identical results to testing with actual ice.”  Thermodynamically, a full ice bin

provides an additional small thermal load that could impact performance (cycling, etc.)  

Also, units have various bin capacities resulting different ice thermal loads.

Will be discussed at another session.

10. How to “produce identical results” is somewhat ambiguous and needs further

definition.

10. Will be discussed at another session.

11. Comparison of AHAM test to others

Lindsey Roke: I see some likelihood of a test that measures the energy to actually make

ice rather than just storing it getting into the new IEC standard at some stage.  The ideal

situation would be to pick up an existing ice production energy‐test standard from

somewhere around the world and use it exactly as it is.   To the best of my knowledge,

nobody else has yet produced in ice making energy test procedure so this version that

AHAM is developing must be considered a front runner.  In that event it will need to be

a metricated.  So it would be good if either the numbers are round numbers in metric

units or there is a wide enough tolerance on them that they can be rounded numbers in

metric units.  (So far you have not specified tolerances.).  I assume that asking it to be

written straight in metric units would be asking too much.   

Japan has a type of test – IM is manually filled with water.  Very different from U.S.  This

would be the first automatic IM energy test procedure.

12. Consider the impact of different platforms on the energy consumed to make a

specified quantity of ice.

Determined by testing.

13. What tolerance will the test have?  How will adding the ice maker energy test affect

the tolerance of the overall energy test?

13.14. Determined by testing

15. The test procedure needs to clarify temperature and operational settings for all

compartments and components.

See number 6 above.

14. Operational settings are proposed in 5.8.2.2.1.

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