SharePre-cooling of apples using spraying systems more efficient
Cooling apples using a spraying system proves faster, better and cheaper!
Apples, harvested once a year, are enjoyed all year round. To make this possible, they are cooled and stored at 1°C in a controlled atmosphere.
Re-cooling of apples at harvest time causes an enormous rise in energy consumption. With present air cooling installations, it takes from two to three weeks before the fruit reaches the desired temperature. As a result, fruit growers use a small otherwise unnecessary transformer to manage high energy demands during this period.
One possible solution to replace the superfluous use of costly equipment used to handle peak demands was to re-cool apples with water instead of cold air. However, engineering student Robin Beukers, initiator of this project, came to the conclusion that too much space was required for immersing the apples.
Consequently Beukers researched spraying systems and dertermined from calculations and tests that these are almost as effective as a water bath. Beukers dipped a crate of apples containing eight temperature readers in water. The heart of the apple reached the required temperature decreasing from 22 C. to 5 C within 50 minutes. With sprayers, this only took 2 minutes longer.
Definately a revolutionary period for apple producers, and the quicker they cool, the sweeter they taste!
http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=112933
Re-cooling of apples at harvest time causes an enormous rise in energy consumption. With present air cooling installations, it takes from two to three weeks before the fruit reaches the desired temperature. As a result, fruit growers use a small otherwise unnecessary transformer to manage high energy demands during this period.
One possible solution to replace the superfluous use of costly equipment used to handle peak demands was to re-cool apples with water instead of cold air. However, engineering student Robin Beukers, initiator of this project, came to the conclusion that too much space was required for immersing the apples.
Consequently Beukers researched spraying systems and dertermined from calculations and tests that these are almost as effective as a water bath. Beukers dipped a crate of apples containing eight temperature readers in water. The heart of the apple reached the required temperature decreasing from 22 C. to 5 C within 50 minutes. With sprayers, this only took 2 minutes longer.
Definately a revolutionary period for apple producers, and the quicker they cool, the sweeter they taste!
http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=112933