Types of Vacuum Coolers

All vacuum coolers are composed of a chamber to hold the produce with one or two doors to allow loading. The cross-section of the chamber can be round or rectangular. Larger units are build in the rectangular format to control width and ease transport. The length, pumps, and refrigeration systems are varied according the length and volume of product to be cooled in each cycle.

The refrigeration can be integrated with the unit on a common frame, or separated. It can also be powered by a multi-functional refrigeration system of the user, perhaps integrated into cold storage cooling equipment. Most units are built to be moveable on a seasonal basis.

Moisture-enhanced vacuum cooling (Wet Kits)

Water injection during the vacuum process can enhance cooling by replacing the need for internal moisture in the evaporative cooling process, thereby reducing moisture loss. Timely application can also prevent “vacuum infusion” of delicate leafy items, resulting in minimizing or eliminating “spotting” effects.

Water injection offers an opportunity to use sanitizing agents. This can be an important competitive advantage in meeting customer requirements for food safety, particularly in export markets.

Typical Product Features

●　Two to Ten pallet Capacities (1.5 MT to 8 MT)
●　Automatic Shuttle loading or manual push-back racking
●　Automated cycle completion with safety release to prevent freezing
●　Optional “Wet Kit” for hydro chilling moisture sensitive products
●　Vertical, sliding, or standard swing door options
●　Green refrigerant kits

AllFresh offers a complete line of Vacuum Cooling Systems. From two pallet self-contained halocarbon refrigeration packages mounted on a single skid to full-car, ammonia systems on over-the-road trailers. Vacuum cooling provides fast, efficient cooling for large volumes of lettuce, greens and a variety of other high surface-to-mass ratio products.

Typical Examples of Vacuum Cooling Equipment

3 MT Portable System	6 MT Chamber	18 MT double wide

Examples of Crop Applications

Lettuce (head varieties), Leafy Greens (Romaine, Green Leaf, other lettuces), Chinese Cabbage

Considerations in Selecting Vacuum Cooling

Advantages
●　Cools large volumes and weights of produce rapidly
●　Uniform temperature easily obtained
●　Optional moisture enhancement systems can reduce weight loss
●　Sanitizing agents can be incorporated in moisture enhancement systems
●　High volume users can achieve low unit costs with correctly matched equipment

Disadvantages
●　Larger sizes (over 6 tons) can present challenges in relocation
●　Initial cost can be high
●　Moisture enhancement systems cannot be used on some packaged products
●　Not suitable for dense produce

Back