Spiral tunnel cooling systems are effective cooling solutions widely used in the food and frozen food industry. In these systems, despite the low internal temperatures, high humidity air leaking from the tunnel's entry and exit points or moisture carried by the products can cause frosting and icing problems on the evaporator surfaces. Additionally, due to the slow movement of products within the spiral tunnel, high airflow (high cycle time) and low temperature difference are prioritized in the cooler design. The negative correlation between blowing and suction in the integrated fans can also trigger frosting and icing on the evaporator surfaces. This reduces the efficiency of the cooling process and causes disruptions in production.
Industrial dehumidifiers play a critical role in spiral cooling tunnels. The dehumidifier keeps the humidity levels low inside the tunnel, extending the defrost intervals of the evaporator and ensuring continuous cooling. Thus, both product quality is maintained and production continuity is ensured. Additionally, the dehumidifier prevents the absorption of moisture by hygroscopic products in the cooling tunnel, increasing product quality and shelf life. When selecting a dehumidifier for spiral tunnels, the sensible heat load that will be introduced to the internal environment due to the removal of latent heat (moisture) by the dehumidifier should be included in the engineering calculations. Otherwise, the dehumidifier will inevitably work at full capacity until the desired humidity level is reached, heating the internal environment. To ensure stability in the process, the temperature and humidity sensor of the dehumidifier should be positioned on the suction line, and the operating scenario should be designed to prevent condensation/freezing in the internal environment based on the humidity set value reference.
The use of dehumidifiers in spiral tunnels in the food and frozen food industry is an important step in increasing efficiency and product safety.
At NKT – Nem Kontrol Teknolojileri, our expert engineering team provides the best industrial dehumidifier solutions to increase the efficiency of spiral tunnels, maintain the integrity of the production process, and offer energy-efficient, high-performance solutions.
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