Abstract
In order to define design criteria for CO2 refrigeration systems to be used for agricultural products and foodstuff storage, a variable geometrical system was realized, with the goal of meeting a wide range of environmental and process conditions, such as producing low environmental impact and maintaining the highest Coefficient of Performance (COP), at the same time. This test-bench, at semi-industrial scale, was designed as a result of experimental tests carried out on Arugula. The storage tests showed that all samples stored in cold rooms with R.H. control showed a slight increase of weight but also small rot zones in all the boxes due to an excessive accumulation of water condensation; thus, the system may not have achieved conditions that RH requires in a given range, without reaching saturation condition. At the same time, the use of CO2 must be adequately tested along its thermodynamic cycle, during steady state and/or transient conditions, imposing variable working conditions that can simulate plant starting phase or some striking conservation process, like those that characterize sausages. The designed plant will allow studying these specific performances and evaluate COP variation, according to environmental and plant operating conditions.
Highlights
Engineering applications in the food industry are interdisciplinary
The main objective of this paper is to provide a refrigeration system operating at low environmental impact with CO2, in order to study the use of this fluid in some phases necessary for the production of particular products and, more generally, for food refrigeration and storage
For texture evaluation, samples stored in CTRL Room and Cold Room 2, showed similar quality attributes; this is because the accumulation of moisture on the surface of the rocket leaves was more visible in the samples stored in Cold Room 1
Summary
Engineering applications in the food industry are interdisciplinary. Various aspects have to be taken into consideration, including technical variables and the physiology of the products, the health and hygiene aspects and the environment impact on these applications.Innovation in machinery engineering is very often the result of studying how to use, adapt, and link proven technologies together, in order to obtain unique solutions that can improve the performance and efficiency in the field to which they are applied.The recent international plans to reduce, as much as possible, the impact on the environment of the refrigeration systems is driving research on the possible use of new natural and ecological fluids.UE Directives tend to equate the benefits associated with the use of natural refrigerants and low environmental impact with those relating to the employment of traditional fluids. Engineering applications in the food industry are interdisciplinary. Various aspects have to be taken into consideration, including technical variables and the physiology of the products, the health and hygiene aspects and the environment impact on these applications. Innovation in machinery engineering is very often the result of studying how to use, adapt, and link proven technologies together, in order to obtain unique solutions that can improve the performance and efficiency in the field to which they are applied. The recent international plans to reduce, as much as possible, the impact on the environment of the refrigeration systems is driving research on the possible use of new natural and ecological fluids. UE Directives tend to equate the benefits associated with the use of natural refrigerants and low environmental impact with those relating to the employment of traditional fluids. Since the introduction of the Montreal Protocol (1994), EU Legislation has gradually banned the use of CFC in
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