What Is a Fluidized Bed Freezer?

What Is a Fluidized Bed Freezer?

A fluidized bed freezer is a new innovation in food preservation. The technology behind this type of refrigerator is the use of a hot air canister to move refrigerant through ductwork within the unit. These refrigerators are made specifically for bulk applications such as meat and dairy storing. The units are priced slightly higher than traditional units due to the innovative technology and design.

There are many effective methods for keeping frozen foods at a safe temperature for extended storage. When food is stored at a higher temperature, it thaws at a quicker rate, which decreases the amount of time the food remains frozen. This is why you find that many packaged meats take a shorter time to defrost and taste better when consumed after being frozen.

Many foods retain their freshness more effectively when they thaw quickly, because the longer food remains frozen, the greater the loss of potency is over a shorter time period. The downside to this is that the products tend to become less palatable as well. A fluidized bed freezer allows for the quick defrosting of frozen products by moving the air from a heated environment into the cooler one and thus allowing air to circulate.

To implement this concept into your freezer, the first step is to create a heat source. A typical unit will come with a heat exchanger built in and will require no external source of heat to operate. If you would like to try out the initial design of a fluidized bed freezer, there are many available on the market today that comes with an ice chest built in.

To maximize the use of air as a heat source, you may want to place a hot air gun within the freezer, however, this is not recommended. Hot air expands when heated, which can damage a fragile product if improperly handled. Heat exchangers are designed to prevent this from happening by limiting the expansion and thereby limiting the overall heating effect of the air.

Fluidized bed refrigerators do have a venting system, but you must be sure to direct the exhaust through the convection filter to keep the hot air from entering the rest of the freezer. Some models come with a wall mounted compressor and turbine. This provides the compressor and turbine with a supplemental source of electrical power, however you will need to find a source of supplemental electrical power if you plan to add additional appliances or other power sources to the unit.

One item to consider before purchasing a fluidized bed freezer is how much space you have in your freezer. Most homes these days have a 3 ft by 3 ft area within the garage that is commonly used for storing food. This makes it a very good choice for a unit, but if you have a smaller freezer, it is not likely that a larger sized fluidized bed freezer will work in the space you have available.

It is also important to consider the level of safety you are seeking from a fluidized bed freezer. If you have young children, or animals that frequent the freezer area, it is important to make sure that the unit is not close enough to them to pose a choking hazard. The heat generated in the unit should not be sufficient to cause discomfort, burns, or even scorching, so do not purchase a unit that has a heating element that can cause discomfort or burn skin if it comes into contact with skin.

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