Refrigeration supply of milk plants on base of automated water-cooling machines

Аннотация
The objective of this paper is to study the effect of using the cold water as a storage source of refrigeration on the accumulator volume and power consumed during the process of milk cooling at the conditions of variable cooling load. This study has been based on various analyses of calculation results using a mathematical model. A comparison study is conducted between cold water and cold brine as a storage source of refrigeration for milk cooling process. A computer program was developed to simulate the appropriate equations that calculate the volume of accumulators and power required for water and brine system. The calculation method of cold accumulation system for milk plant has been given. The flow chart of the computer program has been represented. The results obtained show that the volume of accumulator is (58 m3) for cold water and (59 m3) for cold brine at the same conditions of maximum cooling load of milk about 206 kW, peak duration of 3,5 hours, water temperature difference of 2 °C, brine temperature difference of 2 °C, and operating period of refrigerating machine up to 17 hours a day. In addition to that it was found that the power required to operate the compressor of cold brine system is (90 %) greater than the power needed to operate the compressor of cold water system.