Design a hydrocooling unit that can cool fruits and vegetables from 30°C to 5°C at a rate of 20,000 kg/h under the following conditions: The unit will be of flood type that will cool the products as they are conveyed into the channel filled with water. The products will be dropped into the channel filled with water at one end and picked up at the other end. The channel can be as wide as 3 m and as high as 90 cm. The water is to be circulated and cooled by the evaporator section of a refrigeration system. The refrigerant temperature inside the coils is to be -2°C, and the water temperature is not to drop below 1°C and not to exceed 6°C. Assuming reasonable values for the average product density, specific heat, and porosity (the fraction of air volume in a box), recommend reasonable values for the quantities related to the thermal aspects of the hydrocooler, including (a) how long the fruits and vegetables need to remain in the channel, (b) the length of the channel, (c) the water velocity through the channel, (d) the velocity of the conveyor and thus the fruits and vegetables through the channel, (e) the refrigeration capacity of the refrigeration system, and (f) the type of heat exchanger for the evaporator and the surface area on the water side.
Design a hydrocooling unit that can cool fruits and
vegetables from 30°C to 5°C at a rate of 20,000 kg/h under the
following conditions:
The unit will be of flood type that will cool the products
as they are conveyed into the channel filled with water. The
products will be dropped into the channel filled with water at
one end and picked up at the other end. The channel can be
as wide as 3 m and as high as 90 cm. The water is to be circulated
and cooled by the evaporator section of a refrigeration
system. The refrigerant temperature inside the coils is to be
-2°C, and the water temperature is not to drop below 1°C
and not to exceed 6°C.
Assuming reasonable values for the average product density,
specific heat, and porosity (the fraction of air volume
in a box), recommend reasonable values for the quantities
related to the thermal aspects of the hydrocooler, including
(a) how long the fruits and vegetables need to remain in the
channel, (b) the length of the channel, (c) the water velocity
through the channel, (d) the velocity of the conveyor and thus
the fruits and vegetables through the channel, (e) the refrigeration
capacity of the refrigeration system, and (f) the type
of heat exchanger for the evaporator and the surface area on
the water side.
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