Experimental characterization of airflow inside a refrigerated trailer loaded with carcasses

摘要

After slaughtering, pork carcasses should be cooled down in chilled rooms (for 15-20 h) as fast as possible to reach a core temperature of 7 degrees C before transport to inhibit the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. To reduce the time interval between slaughtering and the cutting plant, an alternative solution involving the loading of carcasses with core temperatures higher than 7 degrees C directly into trailers has been proposed. However, whether or not such a practice will lead to a sanitary risk has to be assessed. Experimental investigation was carried out in order to characterize airflow distribution in a reduced-scale trailer loaded with reduced-scale polyurethane carcass models. Velocity measurements were conducted using 2D-LDV all around the carcasses. This made it possible to deduce the flow pattern and the order of magnitude of the velocity inside the region occupied by the carcasses. (c) 2018 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.