US Patent 10890366 Systems and methods for making ice

A cross-connected refrigeration system includes a first refrigeration subsystem and a second refrigeration subsystem that are fluidly coupled by a header, each of the first refrigeration subsystem and the second refrigeration subsystem including a refrigeration loop including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, and a heating loop including an electrically-controlled valve, and the evaporator, and a header connection that connects the refrigeration loops and the heating loops of the first refrigeration subsystem and the second refrigeration subsystem to a common header, respectively. The compressor in the first refrigeration subsystem is selectively deactivated and the electrically-controlled valve in the first refrigeration subsystem is selectively opened such that compressed gas from the compressor in the second refrigeration subsystem enters the heating loop of the first refrigeration subsystem and heats the evaporator of the first refrigeration subsystem.