Hydro Cooler

[jwasir]

Hi,

I would like to know, how to determine the product temp. coming out of the hydrocooler, when time and water temp is know.

For eg, We need to design Hydrocooler to cool Blueberries.

Incoming temp is 80F and water is 35F.

Product on the belt @ time -- 110 Lbs

Time to travel belt from one end to other -- 1 min.

Water Flow rate -- 70 GPM.

Need to know the temp. that can be achived with the above scenario.

Thanks in advance.

[750 Valve]

Try speaking to an engineering firm, and be prepared to pay for their knowledge

[Peter_1]

Temperature of the air can be plotted in a psychometric chart.
If you want to know the product temperature, only a test can give you the right answer because there are to many uncertainties (belt width, speed, wind circulation, thickness of the product on the belt, the physical properties of the product,..)

[jwasir]

The cooling medium is water and not air.

Any suggestions!!

[Peter_1]

You are spraying cold water over the products, is this correct?
You see, you questions could be misunderstood.

[jwasir]

Yes Sir,

Its Hydro Cooler, cold water will be sprayed/rained over the warm product.

Regards,

[The MG Pony]

hydrocooler? Where are you geting your termonology?

Chilled water system is what your talking about? and by the sounds of it a verry big one.

[US Iceman]

Hydrocooler is a correct and proper term. It's essentially a water chiller where the cold water is sprayed over fresh picked vegetables/fruit to cool them down quickly.

For leafy products, vacuum cooling is mostly used.

The original posted question relates to a heat transfer problem that is not too simple to solve.

[jwasir]

Thanks US Iceman,

Any approx. suggestions will be highly appreciated.

[The MG Pony]

thats why I asked where he got the term from, I've never heard of it refered to that, I've heard of such systems refered to as trough chillers, one fellow used such a set up for his tomato farm, tomatoes lowered into a channel of chilled water allowed to float down the line and back onto the belt.

I do know of the spray type, a loos weaved bealt the product rides on through a sprinkler system of chilled water, they just all refered to it as a spray chiller.

Or is there no real naming standered to them?

[US Iceman]

Or is there no real naming standard to them?

Nope. That's part of the fun in this business.

jwasir, part of the problem is determining the transient heat transfer conduction from the berry to the cold water, and then finding the rate of temperature increase in the water.

[thermo prince]

Yes , hydrocoolers are becoming more and more a significant 'link' in the immediate post harvest cold chain.
As we said recently " from farm to fork" continuity of good practice.

This link will give some of the players in the equipment manufacture etc.

http://postharvest.ifas.ufl.edu/Post...rigeration.htm


As 750 Valve rightly said, expect to pay for consultants but this gentleman, Dr Pat Brecht is one we have worked with on post harvest research.
http://www.pebcommodities.com/news.htm

hope this is helpful, references given without any bias.


regards
T-P

[Samarjit Sen]

There are different methods of Pre Cooling of Post Harvest produces. These depends on the produces to be cooled. Hydrocooling is one of the methods. I have the details of this system. I shall try to locate the same and have the same submitted on the forum.

[Samarjit Sen]

The following link may be helpful. Please download the same immediately.

http://download.yousendit.com/3D7AB8F9726C93B4

[US Iceman]

Thank you Samarjit. This looks like a very good resource.

[jwasir]

Thanks Mr. Sen,

This really is very infrormative.

Regards,

[benny_bronko]

The cooling medium is water and not air.

Any suggestions!!

my company specializes in building custom hydrocoolers, you will need to take approx 3 minutes @ 32 33F water showering. a bordlot style coil suspended about the shower, some call it an ice bank. I would use a 5 hp condensing unit with a custon refrig coil, 12 curcuit coil @ 8 rows of pipe use 5/8 rigid and control your pumpdown with an ice sensor located approx a quarter inch from the copper thus building ice till it touches sensor, ice melts and system fires back up again.

jesse.

[jwasir]

Jesse,

Thanks for the info. What GPM/SQ.FT OR PER LBS do you normally take for pump sizing?

my company specializes in building custom hydrocoolers, you will need to take approx 3 minutes @ 32 33F water showering. a bordlot style coil suspended about the shower, some call it an ice bank. I would use a 5 hp condensing unit with a custon refrig coil, 12 curcuit coil @ 8 rows of pipe use 5/8 rigid and control your pumpdown with an ice sensor located approx a quarter inch from the copper thus building ice till it touches sensor, ice melts and system fires back up again.

jesse.