AIR PRECOOLING AND HYDROCOOLING OF HAYWARD KIWIFRUIT

Established knowledge of time-temperature response and correlation of experimental data on precooling may be of great importance when planning the method to use, selecting packaging materials, determining air velocity/spraying density, predicting cooling time, designing or adjusting the cooling system and finally, when programming works in the packing house; all these reasons led us to study the role of the packaging over cooling time, inside an experimental cold room during air precooling, as well as the role of the spraying density over hydrocooling rate.

Cooling time for different air velocities and for 4 types of package is presented and correlated in this announcement; the increase of air velocity from 0.2 to 3.5 m.s^-1 may reduce precooling time 3 to 6 times according to the type of package.

As regards to hydrocooling, the temperature variation as a function of time and spraying density is presented and correlated; when the spraying density exceeds the 520 l.h^-1.m^-2 of top face area, precooling time is reduced to 75 minutes.

The comparison between these two precooling methods (air and icewater) clearly demonstrates that the capacity of hydrocooling may be at least two times higher, even though hydrocooling is neither the best nor the most popular method of precooling kiwifruit.

III International Symposium on Kiwifruit

G. Lambrinos, H. Assimaki, H. Manolopoulou

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.444.86