How Vacuum Coolers Work

Vacuum Coolers have many applications in farming and industry. The principle is the same regardless of the size of the item that needs to be cooled. An airtight chamber is created by using a vacuum pump to remove air from the inside of the chamber or container. The product to be cooled is kept in the airtight chamber with a sensor to measure the cold temperature of the product for a number of minutes. As the pressure is reduced, the boiling point of water on the produce reduces and water begins to evaporate, which removes heat from the product.

The evaporation of this moisture causes a decrease of the product temperature. This cooling process of the product continues until it reaches the desired temperature. To maintain a steady cooling process, it is necessary to have the vacuum pump evacuate the chamber continuously. Monitoring the performance and complete process of the vacuum pump can be accomplished by using remote monitoring applications.

Other factors that determine the cooling process are surface area of the product, availability of heat transfer and sensitivity of the product to losing water.

Benefits of Vacuum Cooling include:

• Increasing the shelf life by quick precooling of leafy vegetables
• Some produce is precooled without the inclusion of water thus reducing the risk of waterborne microorganisms
• Effective measurement of produce hydration to maintain freshness