ЕНЕРГООЩАДНІ РЕЖИМИ ЗАМОРОЖУВАННЯ НИЗЬКОРЕНТАБЕЛЬНОЇ М’ЯСНОЇ СИРОВИНИ ДЛЯ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЇЇ ЕКСПОРТНОГО ПОТЕНЦІАЛУ

The paper conducted experimental studies of the freezing process of chicken by-products. Chicken feet are a low-profit product for sale on the Ukrainian market. In some cases, it is classified as the so-called slaughterhouse waste that is subject to disposal in evaporation boilers. This process is still expensive (up to 0.5 MW/t). In turn, there are international markets, in particular Southeast Asia and China, where this product is in great demand. Frozen chicken feet are stored for 4 to 6 months without loss of organoleptic properties. They are convenient to transport over long distances and sell with minimal loss of primary quality. For quick freezing, most modern refrigeration systems use very low air temperatures of –35…–40 °C. Such temperatures cause significant electricity consumption and require the use of complex and expensive refrigeration equipment. The work investigated freezing modes with temperatures close to the temperatures of further storage –23 °C and –35 °C at an air circulation speed in the chamber of 0.5…6 m/s. This provides a potential opportunity to reduce capital costs, reduce operating costs and product cost, reduce harmful effects on the environment and increase energy efficiency. It was found that the best indicators of energy efficiency and quality of frozen chicken feet were obtained when the product was placed on open pallets in a single layer at an air temperature of –23 °C and an air speed of 6 m/s, or at a temperature of –35 °C and a speed of 2 m/s. Energy consumption under these modes is 1.05 kW/hour and 1.33 kW/hour, respectively. The duration of the freezing process under these modes is about an hour. It was determined that on average, the energy consumption of the refrigeration system at a temperature in the chamber of –35 °C is 32 % higher than at a temperature in the chamber of –23 °C.