Freezing and refrigeration M+P frozen foods

Planning / Implementation / Main components

YORK Deutschland GmbH

Refrigerant

ammonia (NH₃) / carbon dioxide (CO₂)

System start-up

2001

Bielefeld-based M+P Frozen Foods commissioned YORK to construct an environmentally friendly and economical refrigeration plant for freezing and storing frozen meals.

Demands

The task at hand was to build an innovative plant for quickly freezing and storing ready-to-serve meals using a safe, economical and environmentally friendly process. In addition, the freezing time should be as short as possible, in order to maximise product quality and system performance.

Solution

In order to meet all the specifications, YORK developed a cascade refrigeration plant using the refrigerants ammonia and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide used within the production facility is inexpensive, non-perishable, chemically inactive, non-combustible and has no ozone-depleting potential. Ammonia is used only outside the factory, so that in case of leakage, neither the staff nor the food being cooled would be affected. To minimize the impact on the manufacturing process, the facility was prefabricated in a container that serves as a plant room. The new facility equally meets environmental and economic objectives.

Type of facility

NH₃ / CO₂ cascade refrigeration plant

Refrigerant

NH₃ / CO₂

Refrigerant volume

300 / 1,700 kg

Refrigerating capacity

475 kW at -52°C

Main components

CO2 refrigerant compressor, NH3 refrigerant compressor, CO2 condenser, NH3 condenser, freezer, ceiling-mounted chiller for the coldstore