Abstract: A refrigeration system includes a housing having a top, a bottom, first and second opposed sides, and containing an atmosphere; a conveyor apparatus including a self-stacking, self-supported, spiral conveyor belt and a drive mechanism, wherein the conveyor belt includes a plurality of tiers and is at least partially disposed within the housing such that the conveyor belt can travel within the housing from the bottom towards the top of the housing or from the top towards the bottom of the housing; and an atmosphere circulation apparatus having at least one blower in communication with the atmosphere for circulating at least a portion of the atmosphere within the housing from proximate the first opposed side to the second opposed side and back towards the first opposed side, wherein the portion of the atmosphere circulated passes over the conveyor belt in a crossflow manner at least once.

Abstract: A heat exchanger and related method for a thermoacoustic refrigeration system are provided, which includes a warm end of the heat exchanger, a cryogen passing through the warm end to remove heat generated by a thermoacoustic wave generator, and a cool end through which a cooling medium passes to be cooled by the heat transfer at the warm end, wherein cryogenic gas is exhausted from the warm end, and a cooling gas is exhausted from the cool end at a lower temperature than a temperature of the warm end.

Abstract: A heat exchanger associated with a duct for a first fluid including: a central duct portion in fluid communication with the duct having an interior space and an exterior surface; a valve having opened and closed positions engageable within the interior space of the central duct portion; at least one coiled conduit for a second fluid positioned about at least a portion of the exterior surface of the central duct portion; upper and lower duct portions in fluid communication with the central duct portion including stationary upper and lower duct portions and movable upper and lower duct portions having opened and closed positions; and an at least partially movable and/or removable shell engaged with the stationary upper duct portion and the stationary lower duct portion and enclosing the coiled conduit; and, a refrigeration apparatus and process including the same.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing a temperature of a product includes a housing in which cryogenic fluid is provided for being exposed to the product, and at least one ultrasonic transducer assembly disposed in the housing for generating ultrasonic energy to contact the cryogenic fluid and a surface of the product to facilitate heat transfer at the surface of the product. The cryogenic fluid can be selected from nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing products by chilling or freezing includes a conveyor for conveying the products along a plane of travel; lifting means disposed for intermittent contact with the conveyor during processing; cam means rotatable for contacting and displacing the lifting means to contact and displace the conveyor from the plane of travel, thereby displacing the products on the conveyor to prevent the products from adhering to the conveyor and other of the products; and drive means operatively associated with the cam means to impart rotational movement to the cam means for intermittently contacting and displacing the lifting means.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing products by chilling or freezing includes a conveyor for conveying the products along a plane of travel; lifting means disposed for intermittent contact with the conveyor during processing; cam means rotatable for contacting and displacing the lifting means to contact and displace the conveyor from the plane of travel, thereby displacing the products on the conveyor to prevent the products from adhering to the conveyor and other of the products; and drive means operatively associated with the cam means to impart rotational movement to the cam means for intermittently contacting and displacing the lifting means.

Abstract: A refrigeration system includes a cooler or freezer enclosure; a heat exchanger within the enclosure; a bulk storage tank in fluid communication with the heat exchanger; a sound generator in fluid communication with the heat exchanger; a thermoacoustic refrigerator in acoustic communication with the sound generator; and an indirect heat exchange loop in heat transfer contact with the thermoacoustic refrigerator. The heat exchanger is adapted to receive pressurized fluid from the bulk storage tank, and to provide pressurized gas to the sound generator.

Abstract: A refrigeration process including supplying chilled CO2 liquid into a refrigeration chamber, flashing the chilled CO2 liquid into gaseous CO2 and solid CO2 for providing a cooling elect within the refrigeration chamber, and exhausting CO2 gas from the refrigeration chamber, wherein fresh CO2 liquid passes through a tube-side of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger prior to entering the refrigeration chamber as chilled CO2 liquid and the exhaust CO2 gas passes through a shell-side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger after exiting the refrigeration chamber, thereby pre-cooling the liquid CO2 prior to entering the refrigeration chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing products by chilling or freezing includes a conveyor for conveying the products along a plane of travel; lifting means disposed for intermittent contact with the conveyor during processing; cam means rotatable for contacting and displacing the lifting means to contact and displace the conveyor from the plane of travel, thereby displacing the products on the conveyor to prevent the products from adhering to the conveyor and other of the products; and drive means operatively associated with the cam means to impart rotational movement to the cam means for intermittently contacting and displacing the lifting means.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing products by chilling or freezing includes a conveyor for conveying the products along a plane of travel; lifting means disposed for intermittent contact with the conveyor during processing; cam means rotatable for contacting and displacing the lifting means to contact and displace the conveyor from the plane of travel, thereby displacing the products on the conveyor to prevent the products from adhering to the conveyor and other of the products; and drive means operatively associated with the cam means to impart rotational movement to the cam means for intermittently contacting and displacing the lifting means.

Abstract: A self-chilling container, including an outer wall and an inner wall defining at least one adsorption chamber in a space provided between the outer wall and the inner wall, the adsorption chamber adapted to contain adsorbent material in heat transfer contact with at least the inner wall; the inner wall further defining at least one cooling chamber adjacent to the adsorption chamber, the cooling chamber being in heat transfer contact with the inner wall; at least one inlet disposed at the outer wall for introduction of a gas subliming solid material into the adsorption chamber for adsorption of sublimed gas onto the adsorbent material; and a valve in communication with the adsorption chamber for controlled release of the gas from the adsorption chamber.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and apparatus for controlling the operating pressure of a Reverse Brayton type refrigeration device 70 for the purposes of regulating cooling capacity and coolant inventory control.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for surface crust freezing of a food product utilizes a refrigeration shell enclosing a freezing chamber, the freezing chamber having a cavity shaped to substantially accommodate the shape of the exterior surface of the food product; the cavity communicating with the refrigeration shell; a transport substrate to carry the food product into the freezing chamber; a cryogen supply; and a gas circulation device in the refrigeration shell in communication with the cryogen supply to introduce a cooling flow of gas containing cryogen into the cavity so as to contact the food product along its exterior surface.

Abstract: A heat transfer system for refrigeration and/or heating of products includes a housing having an internal chamber, a baffle, a spiral pathway around the baffle, a gas flow pathway and a blower to circulate gas along the gas flow pathway. The baffle separates the chamber into upper and lower portions. The spiral pathway includes an upper spiral pathway within the upper portion, and a lower spiral pathway within the lower portion. The gas flow pathway includes an upper gas flow pathway across the upper spiral pathway and a lower gas flow pathway across the lower spiral pathway in which gas flow in the upper and lower gas flow pathways defines a circulation loop. The width of the upper gas flow pathway and upper spiral pathway are similar, and the width of the lower gas flow pathway and lower spiral pathway are similar.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing treatment to a continuous supply of food product using a vacuum process includes compartments for receiving, treating and expelling food products that are delivered to the apparatus on a continuous basis. The compartments have different pressures therein and in a preferred embodiment are separated from each other within the apparatus to treat the food product on a continual basis, as opposed to a batch-by-batch basis.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of cooling products includes a conveyor for transporting the products, through a refrigeration medium for cooling the products, agitation means disposed proximate to the conveyor for selective, intermittent contact with the conveyor to displace the conveyor from a plane of travel, thereby displacing the products on the conveyor during freezing to prevent the products from adhering to the conveyor or other of the products during freezing, at least one of the agitation means and the conveyor constructed and arranged to be positioned away from each other for the conveyor to move uninterrupted along the plane of travel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for mixing a gas and a liquid to produce a gaseous vapor of the liquid that is substantially free of droplets. Gas, e.g., carbon dioxide, is divided into first and second streams. The first stream is combined in an atomization zone with the liquid, e.g., acetic acid, to form an atomized mixture of the gas and liquid. This atomized mixture is then contacted with the second gas stream in a mixing zone within a mixing/separation chamber in which the second gas stream vaporizes substantially all of the atomized liquid, and the resulting mixture of gas, vaporized liquid and residual droplets moves to the separation zone of the mixing/separation chamber. In the separation zone, the residual droplets gravitationally separate from the vaporized mixture, and the vaporized mixture free of a substantial amount of residual droplets is removed from the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing treatment by impingement to a continuous supply of food product includes a treatment zone at an ambient pressure, a fluid delivery zone at an elevated pressure, and a circulation assembly. Impingement plates containing apertures separate the zones. When treatment fluid is drawn through the impingement apertures, jets of treatment fluid are produced and impinge upon food product traveling through the treatment zone. The apparatus can employ a conveyor mechanism to accommodate food product from a continuous supply, as opposed to batches.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of cooling products includes a conveyor for transporting the products, through a refrigeration medium for cooling the products, agitation means disposed proximate to the conveyor for selective, intermittent contact with the conveyor to displace the conveyor from a plane of travel, thereby displacing the products on the conveyor during freezing to prevent the products from adhering to the conveyor or other of the products during freezing, at least one of the agitation means and the conveyor constructed and arranged to be positioned away from each other for the conveyor to move uninterrupted along the plane of travel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing treatment by impingement to a continuous supply of food product includes a treatment zone at an ambient pressure, a fluid delivery zone at an elevated pressure, and a circulation assembly. Impingement plates containing apertures separate the zones. When treatment fluid is drawn through the impingement apertures, jets of treatment fluid are produced and impinge upon food product traveling through the treatment zone. The apparatus can employ a conveyor mechanism to accommodate food product from a continuous supply, as opposed to batches.