About our cooling systems
Every crop requires a specific amount of energy to go from field temperature to target shipping temperature. High-quality fruit & vegetables require the perfect balance of pressure, temperatures, relative humidity and airflow to avoid shrinkage, extend shelf-life and capture high-value markets attention. Our cooling systems are designed considering all those dimensions and are not limited to the temperature.
We follow the specific protocols for each type of crop, to give the speed needed in cooling while keeping the water in the fruit, which is key for assuring high-quality such export standards.
Our machines are built with the highest European and global standards, with components developed by manufacturing leaders, that allow us to offer the most modern, reliable and efficient technology with optimal energy saving solutions
Forced-air precooling system
Forced-air precooling or blast chilling is the process of quickly removing heat to decrease the temperature rapidly to the expected core temperature of the fresh produce. Precooling is regarded as an indispensable first step by many regions like Europe.
Our precooling system or blast chiller system speeds up the cooling to make it reach every package on a pallet, crate or bin. A tarp included in the system is laid across the top and back of the stockage, allowing to seal and keep the flow of cold air through the product, rather than around it. When the fan is turned on, it pulls or forces the airflow on the centre section between the pallets, removing the heat through convection.
The airflow is optimised and the time span for the temperature drop of the produce is significantly shortened.
Our blast chiller system has pressures up to 300pa and adjustable airflows, allowing it to match it with a range of cooling machines and to treat up to 10 pallets of product (depending on the crop and other conditions).
Suitable for Blueberries, Avocados, Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Cherries, Cucumbers, Grapes, Honeydews, Kiwi, Nectarines, Okra, Bell Peppers, Plums, Summer Squash, Strawberries, Tomatoes and more.
Benefits
- The first step for maintaining postharvest quality and prolong the shelf-life of many fruit and vegetables.
- Effectively increases shelf life by removing field heat faster than other conventional cooling methods.
- Rapid on-farm pre-cooling allows lower shrinkage of the produce and therefore higher and quick product turnaround.
- Not only slows down fruit respiration, water loss, and metabolism but also inhibits nutrition loss and pathogen development during subsequent storage.
- Simple installation and energy-efficient operation.
- Although certain crops can be stored without pre-cooling, many farmers and exporters, aiming towards the best results, practice pre-cooling as an integral part of their post-harvest management.
Direct expansion cooling system
Ideal for the storage of fresh horticulture products which do not require pre-cooling or to be the second step in the cold chain process, dedicated to maintaining the desired temperature of fresh products that require pre-cooling.
The direct expansion cooling system uses refrigerant-based cooling and cools indoor air using a condensed refrigerant liquid. The system includes compressors and condensers, located outside of the cold room, which drives the cooling process by compressing the gas and releasing the heat from the room into the external atmosphere. Also includes evaporators, located inside the room, where the gas expands allowing the elements to become cold and extract the heat from the cold room.
Our compressors and condensers are dimensioned and equipped specifically for working in tropical and harsh conditions. As well, the evaporator capabilities are designed and developed considering two things: product quality and energy efficiency. Evaporators are normally made of aluminium but we can provide evaporators in stainless steel or with specific treatments for SO3 applications.
The system includes a best-in-class electronic control panel for bringing together all the mechanical elements in one seamless solution, with the possibility of connecting clients to a direct control on a phone or laptop. It also includes air and pulp temperature probes, RH sensors, with the possibility of including energy monitoring, pressure and many other sensors to increase quality, reliability and reduce down-time.
It has ranges that go from 8 to 100+kW of thermal power, determined according to the type of product and volumes to be cooled.
Suitable to maintain the temperature of sensitive crops that required precooling such as Blueberries, Avocados, Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Cherries, Cucumbers, Grapes, Honeydews, Kiwi, Nectarines, Okra, Bell Peppers, Plums, Summer Squash, Strawberries, Tomatoes and more. Suitable to cool and maintain the temperature of crops that do not require pre-cooling such as cabbage, cauliflower, green banana, guava, mango, papaya, pomegranate, and radish.
Benefits
- Allows flexibility in the installation since the system can be either outside or indoors (depending on system specifications) without too large footprint.
- It can include additional solutions for installations on unreliable and unstable power grid, allowing an increased reliability and reduced CAPEX required for upstream power infrastructure.
- Configured and set to maximize specific fruit and vegetable quality and to minimize energy bills.
- Not only slows down fruit respiration, water loss, and metabolism but also inhibits nutrition loss and pathogen development during subsequent storage.
- Simple installation and cost competitive compared to other cooling systems.
Chiller-based cooling system
Ideal for the storage of fresh horticulture products which do not require pre-cooling or to be the second step in the cold chain process, dedicated to maintaining the desired temperature of fresh products that require pre-cooling.
This chiller based cooling uses water instead of gas to remove heat from the cold rooms. It uses a vapour expansion/compression cycle for liquid refrigerant, which is continuously transformed from a liquid to a vapour, and back again. This process cools down the refrigerant fluids through the outdoor component of the machine to then circulate the cold fluid to exchangers within the cold room.
Suitable to maintain the temperature of sensitive crops that required precooling such as Blueberries, Avocados, Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Cherries, Cucumbers, Grapes, Honeydews, Kiwi, Nectarines, Okra, Bell Peppers, Plums, Summer Squash, Strawberries, Tomatoes and more. Suitable to cool and maintain the temperature of crops that do not require pre-cooling such as cabbage, cauliflower, green banana, guava, mango, papaya, pomegranate, and radish.
Benefits
- The system installation does not require gas piping, so it is relatively simple to install.
- It can include additional solutions for installations on unreliable and unstable power grid, allowing an increased reliability and reduced CAPEX required for upstream power infrastructure.
- Chillers are slightly more expensive than direct expansion systems. However, they represent the next step in sustainability for the small amount of gas they use (-80% compared with a direct expansion).
- Configured and set to maximize specific fruit and vegetable quality and to minimize energy bills.
- More ability to fine-tune temperatures and relative humidity.
Do you have questions or interested in starting a project?
Get in touch with our local team today!