NH3 have been very proud to receive an order and successfully complete the installation of another ACF for Jose Hendrickx of Vriescentrale in Asten, Holland. As with previous installations, we expected large improvements in the usual areas such as efficiency improvements of refrigeration, fans, defrosting, core temperatures and freezing times, as well as the usual product presentation improvement, reduced labour and forklift operating costs.
The use of CO² has made a marked improvement on previous installations which we did not expect. The ACF system installed at the factory has a 185% larger capacity in the same footprint of the old R22 system and blast cells which it replaced. An average of 35 to 50% of the interior of any ACF is filled with product compared to 11 to 20% in conventional spiral freezers which substantially reduces the footprint.
The differences observed initially between the old refrigerant and CO² are as follows.
Refrigerant
R22
R747
Air Temperature
-40°C
-40°C
Core Temperature
-18°C
-35°C
Freezing Time
36 hours
21 hours
In addition, the frosting and hence the defrosting requirement have been vastly reduced. This can only be down to the improved internal heat transfer in the refrigeration evaporators of CO² or R744.
Measurements also revealed that the new system consumed 45% less energy than the old conventional freezing systems and it freezes in half the time, which contributed to a reduced energy bill.
It goes without saying that Jose Hendrickx is ecstatic with her new facility which has put her in the unique position of being in the forefront of export freezing from Holland for her clients and is receiving delegations from China and the Far East due to the improved quality of the products she is now producing.
