Energy and exergy analyses of vacuum cooling as experimental assessment: case study for boiled cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea Var)

This study was designed to investigate both energy and exergy analyses, exergy efficiency and coefficient of performance (COP) of the vacuum cooling system as a case study for boiled cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea Var). In literature, there is only one study investigated exergy analysis of vacuum cooling, and it is on pre cooling of the harvested mushroom. This paper is aimed to investigate the energy and exergy analyses of vacuum cooling for the cooked foods. First time in literature, the variation of the exergy product and total exergy due to pressure drop, relative humidity and average temperature in the vacuum chamber is determined and discussed in this study. In the paper, the effect of important parameters on the exergetic efficiency and COP for the vacuum cooling system is presented and discussed. An experimental study carried out in the paper to cool the boiled cauliflower in the vacuum cooling system and the center, surface, and ambient temperatures, pressure and humidity values are measured and presented. Experimental results were used energy and exergy analyses of the vacuum cooling system. In addition to energy and exergy analyses, mass conservation, first law of thermodynamics and second law of thermodynamics are also presented for vacuum cooling process. In this study, the parameters affecting energy and exergy analyses, performance coefficient (COP) and exergy efficiency for vacuum cooling systems is to determine. Results show that COP of vacuum cooling archives to 26 and exergy efficiency increases to 91% for the when pressure close to absolute zero pressure.