Food cooling

Torus Cooling

Food cooling

Characteristics

Ice water cooling for potatoes, vegetables and fruit (PVF)

TORUS Cooling is a young and innovative company that has developed a globally patented heat exchanger and its control system. TORUS Cooling is, among other things, active in the refrigeration of hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) and has developed a revolutionary alternative to traditional hydro-cooling for the food sector. The TORUS Cooling ice water chiller consists of a compact stainless steel heat exchanger that supplies an uninterrupted flow of ice water.

We regulate and guarantee the inner temperature of your product to an accuracy of 0.5°C if required. Traditional hydro-coolers consist of an elaborate system of copper pipes that, in addition to a large energy loss, are a source of bacterial growth (with a rapid increase in the bacterial count). The TORUS Cooling ice water cooling system consists of a Kiwa certified water tube. The tube is cleanable and cools (tap) water in the torus accurately to the desired temperature. Potatoes, vegetables and fruit (PVF) are cooled quickly, safely and hygienically to the exact desired core temperature while maintaining the lowest possible bacterial count. The system is compact, solid, energy-efficient and maintenance-free.

Compared to traditional systems, the TORUS Cooling cooling system delivers.
clean ice water at the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). clean ice water at the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Savings are made by reducing the amount of cleaning required,
in addition, the cooling system uses 32% less energy on average.

The traditional hydro-cooler improved entirely

Introduction:
In food processing, fresh potato, vegetable and fruit products are washed and rinsed as soon as possible after harvesting, using a cold water shower system, before being packaged. Bringing the potato, vegetable and fruit products up to a specific core temperature, ensures that they retain their freshness.
and improved shelf life.

The traditional process:
One of the most critical success factors for maintaining freshness and shelf life is to achieve an optimal inner product temperature within the shortest possible time; this inner temperature differs for different potato, fruit and vegetable products. For this purpose, potato, vegetable and fruit products are usually fed via conveyor belts under a set of copper tubes (the so called hydro-coolers). The abundant ice water flushes and moisturizes the potato, vegetable and fruit products until the desired core temperature is reached. In order to achieve the required critical low temperature and to avoid freezing, water is led to the potato, vegetable and fruit products via an open network of copper pipes. In the copper network of tubes a refrigerant flows of approximately -10°C which cools the process- and rinsingwater to the low target temperature. The supply temperature of water is not constant and the exact desired inner temperature can only be achieved by controlling the cooling system.

Germ count and bacterial growth:
Due to the structure of such an open tube system, the bacterial count rises sharply in just a few hours. To avoid bacterial growth, the system should be cleaned frequently (daily). The gaps between the copper tubes are cramped and designed in such a way that the cleaning process is intensive and laborious: it increases the risk of bacterial growth. In addition, it is a cooling system that usually runs at an evaporation temperature of -10°C. To limit energy losses, this system is insulated; this insulation must be removed every time the system is cleaned.

Energy consumption:
The open system of copper tubes and the low system temperature result in a higher energy consumption required to cool the potato, vegetable and fruit products to the desired inner temperature. This causes unnecessary losses compared to systems that operate at a higher evaporation temperature. To cool down the hot process- and rinse-water to the desired temperature (1°C to 2°C), a high ΔT is needed.
The refrigeration system provides this capacity by evaporating the cooling medium at a temperature of approx. – 10°C to -12°C. The larger the ΔT between refrigerant and process water, the higher the energy consumption.

Rigidity:
A hydro-cooler consists of a network of copper tubes. Copper is a mild material and connections are usually soldered. Elke bocht en elke verbinding levert een potentiële kans op lekkage waarbij het koelmedium direct bij de verse AGF product kan komen. In that case, the batch is rejected and the plant comes to a standstill, which entails unnecessary additional costs. Due to the intensive cleaning required against bacterial growth and an increase in the bacterial count, the copper tubing system is also regularly subjected to heavy stress with cleaning agents, brushes and (steam) cleaners.

Size of hydro-cooler:
The larger the surface of the copper tube system, the more effective the transfer of refrigerant to the process and rinse water. The pipeline system is usually tens of metres long and is built on various levels above a conveyor belt over which the potato, vegetable and fruit products are transported.
are transported.

The TORUS Cooling icewater cooling installation

Introduction:
TORUS Cooling is a young and innovative company that supplies refrigeration systems for hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) and high-quality systems for the food, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. TORUS Cooling has developed a worldwide patented heat exchanger and control system, which is characterized by a greatly improved performance compared to traditional cooling systems. The improvements are concentrated in the areas of: energy consumption, compact design, process integrity and cleanability. This enables us to offer a sustainable solution at a low TCO.

The new generation of ice water cooling systems:
TORUS Cooling has developed its patented heat exchanger and specific control in such a way, that the ice water for potato, vegetable and fruit production can be cooled directly to the exact target temperature. The potato, vegetable and fruit products are cooled directly by nozzles without
intervention of an open hydrocooler system and with the shortest possible route for the cold transfer. The system is sealed for sanitary use, Kiwa certified for drinking water, can be controlled very accurately, consumes little energy due to the low ΔT applied, has a compact design and has been constructed rigidly in stainless steel.

Germ count and bacterial growth:
The heat exchanger in the TORUS Cooling refrigeration system consists of a single drawn tube that delivers chilled water at the desired temperature. While the system provides an uninterrupted flow of exactly chilled ice water,
Confidential – TORUS Cooling ice water cooling system Sheet 3/3 The bacterial count remains low. Water is sprayed directly onto the potato, vegetable and fruit products; by using this system, the influence of bacteria from the environment is minimized. The quality of the available tap water determines how clean the system is.

Installation can easily be carried out with any desired (sanitary) coupling. The closed system is so rigid that any cleaning system can be used: caustic, CIP, SIP, etc.

Energyconsumption:
The TORUS Cooling system has its own control unit that can be adjusted easily and precisely to any desired temperature: for example, ice water can be produced in the range of 0,4°C to 0,8°C. Traditional cooling installations are designed for refrigerants with evaporation temperatures of -10°C to -12°C. For ice water, TORUS Cooling only needs an evaporation temperature of around 0°C. This reduces the required compressor capacity, which in turn reduces the energy consumption by several tens of percent. In addition, the TORUS
Cooling heat exchanger is fully insulated, further reducing energy consumption.

Rigidity:
The TORUS Cooling heat exchanger consists of a fully stainless steel casing and therewith is extremely rigid. If required, the torus can be cleaned using caustic soda, CIP or SIP,
etc. All connections are realized by means of solid flanges and/or (sanitary) couplings.

Scope of installation:
Due to the fact that the TORUS Cooling heat exchanger delivers the precisely cooled ice water directly at the outlet, it remains extremely compact. There are only tubes leading to the nozzles that humidify the end product directly. The length of the intake route therefore only depends on the absorption capacity of the potato, vegetable and fruit products. The rest of the cooling system (compressor, condenser, etc.) is much more compact than usual and can be realized either close to the torus or remotely, reducing the production footprint to a minimum. The torus itself can simply be placed below or above the conveyor belt for the potato, vegetable or fruit products.
Compared to traditional systems, the TORUS Cooling cooling system provides clean ice water at the lowest Total Cost of Ownership. Savings are made by reducing the amount of cleaning required, in addition to which the cooling system consumes an average of 32% less energy.

Please contact us today so that we can have a look at your process and identify your potential savings together.