What Are the Functions of Chilled Water Pipes?

When you purchase items in the refrigerated section from your local store, the majority of those food products were processed using chilled water pipes. Cottage cheese, yogurt, and soda pop must be kept at a temperature below 40 degrees F. This ensures that certain bacteria growth does not invade and contaminate the food product. Chilled water pipes fulfill the function of removing unwanted heat from food items. This keeps food costs down at your local store.

History

At one point in history all food was kept cool by either keeping it in the cellar, submerged in a hand-dug well or from ice harvested from a lake in the middle of winter. Needless to say a lot of food went to waste or made people sick from bacterial infestation. Soon after the introduction of the steam locomotive, mechanical refrigeration came into play for the processing industry. Originally created for other types of manufacturing, refrigeration soon became a staple for the processing of canned foods.

Significance

On-site refrigeration led to the storage of food in large coolers for later processing. This meant that farmers' products did not spoil while waiting to be canned. As more was learned about the refrigeration process, equipment was developed for the specialized processes of removing the heat from many products.

Function

Refrigeration is simply the method of removing heat from a specific area and moving that heat to a different location, generally outdoors. In the absence of heat there is cold. Chilled water pipes are the mechanical process of removing heat from a liquid, beer, milk, soda, or liquid-like substances such as yogurt and cottage cheese.

Types

These types of chillers are generally large vessels that have a continuous piping system inside them for conducting the product. As the food product is pumped through the vessel, heat is removed by the absorption contact of a refrigerant. The refrigerant is in a separately sealed area of the vessel and does not come in contact with the food product. The food product is generally enclosed in a series of pipes.

Features

Large chillers are typically constructed of stainless steel. Not only is this type of metal easy to clean, but it can also handle large temperature extremes and resist corrosion. These vessels can be placed in remote locations from the main food processing area since they are fed both with product and refrigerant by high capacity pumps and compressors.