Common Problems and Solutions for Dry Ice Makers (Part 2. CO2 solenoid valve leakage)

In the automatic dry ice production by dry ice makers, the raw material supply is very important. The control valve for opening and closing liquid carbon dioxide supply is CO2 solenoid valve. Its working pressure is below 45 bar. Therefore, fully automatic dry ice production machine can only be connected to carbon dioxide storage tank or Dewar flask bottle with pressures below 23 bar. Connecting automatic dry ice maker to CO2 cylinder with pressures up to 100 bar will damage the CO2 solenoid valve.

The CO2 solenoid valve is specifically designed for carbon dioxide media. It uses an electromagnetic coil to generate magnetic force, driving the valve core to automatically open and close the carbon dioxide pipeline. It adopts high-pressure resistant, low-temperature embrittlement-resistant materials and sealing to ensure the safety of carbon dioxide delivery and meet the needs of automated control in dry ice production process. The carbon dioxide media must never contain solid impurities or corrosive gases.

The raw material used in dry ice production is food-grade or industrial-grade cryogenic liquid carbon dioxide. If it contains solid impurities, the valve core of the CO2 solenoid valve will be stuck or damaged, it will not be able to completely close the raw material, causing leakage problems in the carbon dioxide solenoid valve in dry ice production process. Minor leaks cause persistently high pressure in the dry ice chamber, dry ice accumulation around the carbon dioxide solenoid valve, and explosive ejection during dry ice extrusion. Severe leaks cause continuous ejection of raw material, large amounts of white smoke emanating from the CO2 inlet and dry ice outlet, and severe explosive ejection.

To prevent CO2 solenoid valve leaks, a filter element is usually installed at the CO2 inlet port. For example, a precision mesh filter is added in CO2 inlet port of small dry ice maker, while a larger dedicated filter is used in a big dry ice making machine. This removes solid impurities from the cryogenic liquid carbon dioxide, ensuring safe and automated dry ice production. When a carbon dioxide solenoid valve leaks, it must be replaced promptly. Generally, the solenoid coil remains unchanged, only the solenoid control valve body needs to be replaced.

For more information, please refer to new post “Common Problems and Solutions for Dry Ice Makers (Part 3)” or contact us +8618882125191.