Title: Exergetic performance of production unit operations of a frozen fruit: a case study for sweet cherry

Authors: Zeliha Deniz Alta; Can Ertekin

Addresses: Department of Farm Machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Akdeniz University, 07059, Antalya, Turkey ' Department of Farm Machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Akdeniz University, 07059, Antalya, Turkey

Abstract: In the present study, energetic and exergetic assessments were conducted in a frozen cherry production process. Actual operational data were used to indicate energy and exergy efficiencies and irreversibilities of each operation units. Production process was divided into four main operations of pre-washing, stemming, pitting and individually quick frozen (IQF). Energy and exergy efficiencies of the entire system were found as 65.74% and 8.95%, respectively. Exergy analysis revealed that IQF Freezing was responsible for the most of the exergy destruction (over 90%) followed by pitting process (3.38%). Use of an effective pre-cooling unit operation before freezing was suggested to improve the energetic and exergetic performances of the system.

Keywords: energy efficiency; exergy efficiency; fruit freezing; production unit operations; frozen fruit; case study; sweet cherry; irreversibilities; exergy destruction; pre-cooling operations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2015.068217

International Journal of Exergy, 2015 Vol.16 No.2, pp.169 - 182

Received: 31 Dec 2013
Accepted: 03 Mar 2014
Published online: 24 Mar 2015 *

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