conveyor cooling

[svkath]

I've been given a project to cool down a conveyor before the food product is transferred on it, this is in a food factory and needs to be waterproof, I was going to use a motor I don't think this would work, any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[dbill74]

How cold do you need the conveyor?
What is the conveyor made of?

First thought is to run it under fan blowing cold air on it. Or run it through a refrigerated tunnel.

You mentioned the need to be waterproof, can you wash cold water over it?

 

[svkath]

the conveyor is called a profreeze it part freezes the product as it goes through the tunnel, the conveyor reaches the other end and then its cleaned, warmed up and dried, then when it reaches where the product falls on to it the temperature is about 20C this is part I need to cool down, I just need to take some of the temperature away.

cant use cold water due it being food product

any ideas of fans that blow cold air

I was thinking of this but might have to cover it due to hygiene washing everything down

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/blowers/4349848/

http://img-europe.electrocomponents.com/largeimages/R4349848-01.jpg

 

[Jboggs]

What delta-T are you trying to achieve? How warm is it coming in and cold does it need to be going out of your cooler?
Have you looked at these?

http://www.exair.com/en-US/Primary ...ystems/Pages/Cold Gun Aircoolant Systems.aspx

or these?

http://www.exair.com/en-US/Primary ...binet Coolers/Pages/Cabinet Coolers Home.aspx

 

[svkath]

The conveyor is temperature is 20c I need to ideally get it as cool as possible before it goes through the freezing tunnel. I was also thinking of using an inline blower fan in an air line, but was wondering if there's something else I could use

 

[dbill74]

Any fan can blow cold air, you just need a cooling coil to cool the air. If the conveyor is at 20C and you want it close to freezing, I don't think air is the best option.

How is it being cleaned? If the conveyor is being washed with water, why not add a final 'cooling rinse' before you blow dry it? If you use filtered or RO water, you won't/shouldn't have a hygiene problem. If you really want, run the conveyor under a UV light to kill germs just before you deposit food product on it.

 

[kjoiner]

Just a thought, but if you have access to an air supply, you might be able to use a vortex type cooler

http://www.exair.com/en-US/Primary ...Pages/Vortex Tubes and Spot Cooling Home.aspx

Kyle

 

[dvd]

Can you run the return belt (or wire mesh, or whatever it is) through the tunnel, or enclose in a separate plenum and tap off some of the refrigerated air from the tunnel?

 

[gruntguru]

Perhaps run the belt under and/or over a refrigerated roller/rollers or a secondary cold belt (to increase the contact time).

The obvious solution is to extend the tome the belt spends in the freezer before the product is added. Can you extend the freezer by adding a cold tunnel/hood along the belt. Add a fan to force convection from the belt.

je suis charlie

 

[Jboggs]

We have had two different folks recommend considering the Exair coolers, but I see no response from the OP that he even saw those posts, much less looked at the units.