Vent-Stream Air Chiller
Vent-Stream: an innovative and cost-effective cleanable poultry chiller. Maximises product yield, energy efficiency, reliability and bird shelf-life.
Innovation
- Targets air directly into the bird cavity and over the external surface, maximising heat transfer to minimise yield loss
- Parallel, serpentine, single tier track design using 300mm and 600mm diameter wheels
- 30% reduction in floor space compared to 300mm wheel layout
- Controlled temperature and direct airflow maximises heat exchange and bird capacity while minimising dehydration, wing freezing and residence time
- Robust and reliable conveyor design
- Hygienic stainless steel tube track for maximised cleanliness (T-track also available)
- Case hardened chain to reduce wear and prolong chain life
- Multi drive system
- Adaptive tension control via our Intelligent Drive Control System
Benefits
- Chills at deep muscle level from post-evisceration to less than 4°C following equalisation
- Each unit can process up to 13,000 birds per hour
- Increased air circulation around bird
- No tier to tier drip
- Tension control system providing extended chain life
- Units can be multiplexed
- Compatible with all industry standard auto-transfers
- State of the art technology to monitor and log air temperatures to ensure optimum efficiency
Main features
- Minimal dehydration for better yield
- Easy to clean
- Cost-effective
- Energy-efficient
Conveyor layout
300mm and 600mm diameter wheels with parallel tracks on staggered levels; installed with ample drives, a tension control system and a good quality case hardened chain.
Layout benefits:
- No chicken interference
- No drip between levels, eliminating cross-product contamination
- 30% saving in floor area compared to conventional 300mm wheel layouts
- Stainless steel round tube track improves hygiene
- Intelligent drive control system for adaptive tension
Refrigeration
Applied to the conveyor in two areas: a pre-chilling section, which operates at temperatures above freezing, and a secondary chilling section, which operates at temperatures just below freezing. We use R717 ammonia which is extremely efficient and environmentally-friendly but other refrigerants are available.
Pre-chiller benefits:
- Dehydration effects are reduced and evisceration drip does not freeze in the chicken
- Approximately half of the heat is removed here, so moisture in the air does not form as frost on the cooling coils
- Defrost time is eliminated
Secondary chilling benefits:
- Removes the remainder of the heat
- Operates at between 0°C and -2°C in order to achieve the desired deep muscle temperature
- Continuous processing without loss of capacity, enabling full refrigeration whilst alternate coils are defrosting
Easy access and optimum hygiene
- Conveyor and birds suspended at the right height for easy access into the chiller area
- Easy access to the air distribution plenum chamber for maintenance and hygiene
- Cooling coils constructed with Pennine easy clean specification for total access to all areas, with a fully accessible drip tray
- Air distribution nozzles are easily cleaned and robust enough to stand up to day to day use
- Stainless steel to prevent corrosion by cleansing materials
Components
- Compressors have a complete automatic standby facility, enabling maintenance to be carried out without loss of refrigeration capacity
- Condensers operate at the lowest economic condensing temperature to minimise operating and capital costs.
Talk to us about improving your product yield.