PRECOOLER

PRECOOLING METHODS
Hydro-cooling
Forced-air cooling
Vacuum cooling
Other methods
Icing
Hydro-air cooling
etc.
HYDROCOOLER
2 TYPES OF HYDROCOOLER

2 Types

 Batch Hydrocooler

 Continuous Hydrocooler
A BATCH SHOWER-TYPE HYDROCOOLER
A BATCH IMMERSION-TYPE HYDROCOOLER
A CONTINUOUS SHOWER-TYPE
HYDROCOOLER
A CONTINUOUS-FLOW IMMERSION
HYDROCOOLER
LIMITATIONS OF HYDROCOOLERS

only for produce

 not sensitive to wetting and
 many diseases are encouraged by wetting.

some restrictions
 on the types of packaging.
FORCED-AIR COOLER
FORCED-AIR COOLING
uses refrigerated air as medium.

is designed to force cold air through produce containers

instead of around them.

is similar to room cooling

 a cold-storage room.

is best adapted for

 fruits and container which easily damaged by water..
3 TYPES OF FORCED- AIR
COOLER
Cold Wall

Forced-air Tunnel

Serpentine Cooling
COLD WALL TYPES OF FORCED-AIR
COOLING
FORCED-AIR TUNNEL TYPES
OF FORCED-AIR COOLING
SERPENTINE COOLING
TYPES OF FORCED-AIR COOLING
LIMITATIONS OF FORCED-AIR COOLING
inadequate for produce stored in large containers.

can not immediate cooling.

VACUUM COOLING
VACUUM COOLING
based on evaporation of moisture under low pressure.
the important variables are moisture content and the surface to volume ratio.
mostly advantageous for leafy vegetables.
VACUUM COOLING (CONT.)
Rapid and uniform cooling is possible
depending on
-surface area
-moisture release of a product
used for product that can not tolerate air and water.
PRINCIPLES OF VACUUM
COOLING
Product is placed in a steel vessel

Vacuum pumps reduce pressure

This causes rapid moisture evaporation and produce cooling.

VACUUM COOLER
LIMITATIONS OF VACUUM
COOLING
The equipment is expensive.

Works well with a high surface-to-mass ratio such as leafy vegetables.

Rapid weight loss of about 2-4%

 but wilting is not apparent.
 (Misting is done to reduce moisture loss during cooling.)
OTHER METHODS
OTHER METHODS
HYDRO-AIR COOLING

uses a mixture of refrigerated air and water

is cooled by spray chilled water and forced air in the same time.

It has the advantage of reduced water requirements, and the potential for improved
sanitation.
HYDRO-AIR COOLING
OTHER METHODS
ICING

Pre-cooling with crushed ice or ice-slush is simple and effective if done properly.
Sometimes add sodium chloride to lower the melting point
causes chilling injury in susceptible crop.
3 TYPES OF ICING
Package icing – packing material in water proof bags containing ice.

Top icing - is directly on the top of material.

Contact icing - is directly contact crop,

gives rapid reduction with melting ice.
OTHER METHODS
MOBILE PRECOOLER

is one which
 removes the field heat at the farm and
 during transit period.

a "three-in-one precooler"
MOBILE PRECOOLER BY INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
SCIENCE
Table1:Comparison of typical effects for 4 common cooling method.

Hydro Forced-air Vacuum Icing

Cooling time 0.1 to 1.0 hr. 1 to 10 hr. 0.3 to 2.0 hr. 0.1 to 0.3 hr.
%Moisture loss 0 to 0.5 0.1 to 2.0 2.0 to 4.0 no data
Decay
contamination
high low none low
Water-resistance
packaging
yes no no yes

Portable rarely done sometimes common common

Feasibility of in-
yes rarely done no rarely done
line cooling
 APPLICATION TEMPERATURE
MEASUREMENT DURING HYDRO-AIR
COOLING IN GUAVA
OBJECTIVES
To familiarize with the different precooling methods and determine the most
effective one in terms of field heat removal
To determine the cooling rates and half-cooling times of guava in each method,
To be acquainted with the use of data logger for recording of temperature-time data
PROCEDURES
Start refrigeration unit

Measure flow rate of water and air

Prepare the samples

Select the uniform size

Hole reach the center of the fruit
Insert the thermocouple
Seal the hole
Connect the thermocouples to the data logger

Run until 15 °C

To read the data 12 positions

Figure 1 Cross-section of cooling unit showing air and water distribution and circulation
 3. FREEZING SYSTEM
The freezing process can be accomplished by using either indirect or direct
contact systems. Most often, the type of system used will depend on the
product characteristics, both before and after freezing is completed. There
are a variety of circumstances where direct contact between the product and
refrigerant is not possible.

3.1. Indirect Contact System

The product and refrigerant are
separated by a barrier throughout the
freezing process. Although many
systems use a non-permeable barrier
between product and refrigerant,
some indirect systems can use the
package materials as barriers.
 3. FREEZING SYSTEM
3.2. Plate Freezers
The most easily recognized type of indirect freezing system is the plate
freezer, illustrated in Figure aside. The product is frozen while between
products. And refrigerant will include both the plate and package material.
The heat transfer through the barrier (plate and package) can be enhanced
by using pressure to reduce resistance to heat transfer across the barrier. In
some cases, plate systems may use single plates in contact with the product
and accomplish freezing with heat transfer across a single package surface.
 3. FREEZING SYSTEM
3.3. Air-Blast Freezers
Air-blast freezers can be a simple design, as in the case of a refrigerated
room. In this situation, the product is placed in the room, and the low-
temperature air is allowed to circulate around the product for the desired
residence of freezing time.

Most air-blast freezers are

continuous, such as illustrated
in Figure aside.

Continuous air-blast
freezing systems use a variety
of different conveying
arrangements for movement
of product through
refrigerated air.
 3. FREEZING SYSTEM
3.4. Freezers for Liquid Foods
In many situations, tl1C most cl1icient removal of thermal energy from a
liquid food can be accomplished before the product is placed in a package.
Heat exchangers for freezing liquid foods designed specifically for freezing,
with heat - exchanger shell surrounding product compartment becoming an
evaporator for a vapor - compression refrigeration system. This provides
precise control of heat-exchanger surface by adjustment of pressure on low
pressure side of refrigeration sys.
For freezing liquid foods, residence time in freezing compartment is sufficient
to decrease product temperature by several degrees below temperature of
initial ice-crystal formation. At these temperature, from 60 to 805 of latent
heat has been removed from product, and the product is in form of frozen
slurry. In this condition, product flows quite readily and can be placed in a
package for final freezing in a low-temperature refrigerated space.
 3. FREEZING SYSTEM
3.5. Direct Contact System
The refrigerants used in this system while in contact with the product
maybe low temperature air at high surface. In all cases, the systems are
speeds or liquid refrigerants with designed to achieve rapid freezing,
phase change while in contact with and the term individual quick
the product surface. In most freezing (IQF) will apply.
situations, these systems will operate
more efficiently.

The refrigerants used in these systems

may be low- temperature air at high
speeds or liquid refrigerants with
phase change
 3. FREEZING SYSTEM
3.5.1 Air Blast
The use of low-temperature air at high speeds in direct contact with small
product objects is a form of IQF.
A modification of the regular air-blast IQF system is fluidized-bed IQF
freezing system. In systems, high - speed air is directed vertically upward
through mesh conveyor carrying product through the system.
By careful adjustment of air speed in relation to product size, the product is
lifted from conveyor surface and remains suspended in low-temperature air.
Although air flow is not sufficient to maintain product in suspension at all
times, fluidized action results in the highest possible convective heat transfer
coefficients for freezing process. This type of freezing process results in rapid
freezing of product shaped and sizes that can be fluidized in the manner
described.
 3. FREEZING SYSTEM
3.5.2 Immersion
The product surface is reduced to a reduced to a very low by rapidly or and
assuming the product objects are relatively small, the freezing process is
accomplished very rapidly or under IQF condition. For typical produced, the
freezing time is shorter than for the air-blast or fluidized-bed systems. As
illustrated, the product is carried into a bath of liquid refrigerant and is
conveyed through the liquid while the refrigerant changes from liquid to vapor
and absorbs heat from the product. The most common refrigerant for this
purpose are nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
 3. FREEZING SYSTEM
3.5.2 Immersion (cont’d)
A commercial version of the immersion IQF freezing system is show in Figure
below. In this illustration, product freezing compartment is filled with
refrigerant vapors while product is conveyed through the system. In addition,
the product is exposed to a spray of liquid refrigerant, which absorbs thermal
energy from product while changing phase from liquid to vapor while the
product freezes, it becomes difficult to recover vapors leaving the freezing
compartment.
 7. SOME FREEZERS
7.1 Mutilate Freezer
This machine consists of a number of superimposed hollow metal
plates actuated by means of hydraulic pressure in such a manner
that they may be opened to receive products between them and
then closed on the product with any desired pressure. The entire
freezing apparatus is enclosed in an insulated cabinet. The plates
are made of rolled aluminum alloy.

Some advantages:
 It produces a well-shaped package
with a minimum of voids.
 It requires a minimum amount of
floor space.
 It freezes quickly and economically.
 It does not require defrosting of the
plates if the freezer is operated
properly.
 7. SOME FREEZERS
7.2 Air-Blast Freezer
In this method, the products to be frozen are placed on trays, either
loose or in packages, and the trays are placed on freezing coils in a
low-temperature room with cold air blowing over the product. In
some installations of this system, the cold air that is in the low-
temperature room is circulated by means of large fans, whereas in
other installations the air is blown through refrigerated coils
located either inside the room or in an adjoining blower room.
The temperature of the air is usually between -18C and -340C,
although lower temperatures are some­times used. The air is
usually cooled by blowing it over bunker coils before it enters the
tunnel.
 7. SOME FREEZERS
7.3 Fluidizing Belt Freezer
The principle of fluidizing bed freezer is that a sufficiently powerful
stream of air is forced up through a layer of the food to keep the
product in suspension. The air stream must be very cold.
Since each piece of food is kept loose and free flowing by air
pressure, the freezing time is far less than that required for single
plate, double plate and the usual air-blast freezing.
 7. SOME FREEZERS
7.1 Mutilate Freezer
This machine consists of a number of superimposed hollow metal
plates actuated by means of hydraulic pressure in such a manner
that they may be opened to receive products between them and
then closed on the product with any desired pressure. The entire
freezing apparatus is enclosed in an insulated cabinet. The plates
are made of rolled aluminum alloy.

Some advantages:
 It produces a well-shaped package
with a minimum of voids.
 It requires a minimum amount of
floor space.
 It freezes quickly and economically.
 It does not require defrosting of the
plates if the freezer is operated
properly.
 7. SOME FREEZERS
7.2 Air-Blast Freezer
In this method, the products to be frozen are placed on trays, either
loose or in packages, and the trays are placed on freezing coils in a
low-temperature room with cold air blowing over the product. In
some installations of this system, the cold air that is in the low-
temperature room is circulated by means of large fans, whereas in
other installations the air is blown through refrigerated coils
located either inside the room or in an adjoining blower room.
The temperature of the air is usually between -18C and -340C,
although lower temperatures are some­times used. The air is
usually cooled by blowing it over bunker coils before it enters the
tunnel.
 7. SOME FREEZERS
7.3 Fluidizing Belt Freezer
The principle of fluidizing bed freezer is that a sufficiently powerful
stream of air is forced up through a layer of the food to keep the
product in suspension. The air stream must be very cold.
Since each piece of food is kept loose and free flowing by air
pressure, the freezing time is far less than that required for single
plate, double plate and the usual air-blast freezing.