Optimizing working conditions of air blast freezers in seafood processing factories

Abstract

At present, there are more than 633 seafood processing companies in Vietnam that consume 19.2% of the country’s total industrial electrical power. The most popular freezers in these factories are air blast types. They are the most energy-consuming equipment, accounting for more than 50% of a company’s total energy usage. Two key variables affecting the energy consumption of the freezers are freezing time and freezing temperature. In this study, a mathematical model was designed to determine the freezing time for food products and the refrigeration load of air blast freezers. It is presented as an objective function of total energy consumption for a given processing time. In addition, optimal freezing temperature, air velocity, and freezer efficiency were also determined. Our model can be used to operate air blast freezers with highest efficiency.