초록 ▼

An apparatus and method for vacuum cooling produce and similar foodstuffs includes a vacuum cooling chamber, a vacuum pump, refrigeration equipment and data processing equipment which is provided with various data by the operator, weight and pressure sensors within the cooling chamber and appropriat

An apparatus and method for vacuum cooling produce and similar foodstuffs includes a vacuum cooling chamber, a vacuum pump, refrigeration equipment and data processing equipment which is provided with various data by the operator, weight and pressure sensors within the cooling chamber and appropriately controls and terminates the operating cycle of the equipment. The method generally includes determining the initial weight and average temperature of the produce, calculating the amount of heat removal necessary to lower the temperature of the produce to a predetermined final temperature, calculating the amount of water to be removed to accomplish the desired heat removal and subjecting such produce to a vacuum to vaporize the quantity of water from such produce, such quantity of water having a heat of vaporization sufficient to achieve the previously calculated heat removal.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for controlling a vacuum cooling chamber to reduce the temperature of a quantity of produce to a preselected final temperature comprising the steps of: determining the weight of such produce; determining the initial temperature of said produce by monitoring the rate of change of vacuum in s

A method for controlling a vacuum cooling chamber to reduce the temperature of a quantity of produce to a preselected final temperature comprising the steps of: determining the weight of such produce; determining the initial temperature of said produce by monitoring the rate of change of vacuum in such chamber; determining the weight of water to be removed from such produce to reduce the temperature of such produce from such initial temperature to such preselected temperature; and vaporizing water from such produce by drawing a vacuum on such produce until such weight reduction is achieved.