Thermal load calculation of an industrialized açaí freezing tunnel with a capacity of 20 tons

Abstract

Açaí is a fruit native to the Amazon region that is important as a source of food and for a local culture and that has become popular nationally in the most recent decades, already reaching international markets. The freezing process is used to delay the deterioration of food, preserving its nutritional properties. This is relevant to understand the thermal load calculation in order to be able to dimension the refrigeration equipment used for the industrial refrigeration cycle. The objectives of the article were to calculate the thermal load of an industrialized açaí freezing tunnel with a capacity of 20 tons in 18 hours of process and to verify the factor of greatest influence in this calculation. This is field research carried out in an açaí freezing industry in the city of Castanhal / PA and also refers to an exploratory bibliographic research based on books and scientific articles in the industrial refrigeration category. The total thermal load of the açaí freezing tunnel was calculated and reached the value of 168,347.0226 kcal/h and it was found that the factor of greatest influence in the calculation of thermal load is the factor for the product with about 81% of the total thermal load.