Mechanized Tunnel Freezer – Chilled Air
Industry: Fruit and Vegetables (NAICS 3114) Meat (NAICS 3116)
NAICS process:
311411 Frozen Fruit and Vegetables
311612 Meat Processed from Carcasses
Process Brief: Products are frozen by moving them through a chilled chamber in a continuous process
Energy source: Electricity/ some Natural Gas
Energy Intensity: 250-1,700 Btu/lb of product
A mechanized tunnel freezer is an extension of the stationary tunnel freezer operating in a continuous process. Instead of a simple refrigerated room, the mechanized tunnel freezer is customized to handle one time of material handling device. In some cases, the product will be moved on wheeled pallets; and, in others, there may be a conveyor that moves product through the freezer. In either case, the mechanized tunnel freezer is characterized by automated material handling.
The mechanized tunnel freezer use air-blast chilling techniques and mechanical (electricity) or thermal (natural gas) systems generate the cold air.