Conveyor system for chilling food products

摘要

Food product chilling apparatus is afforded herein comprising an elongated water tank and a modular movable belt conveyer unit that carries warm food products through water for chilling. A superstructure and hoist system lifts the conveyor unit out of the water for servicing. Cooling water is recirculated and rechilled in a cooling method that controls the temperature of the efflux water from the cooling tank. The influx chilling water is distributed in a plurality of parallel flow paths incrementally chilling the product at various stations along the conveyor belt path to reduce the average cooling time for the processed products. By standardizing the efflux water temperature at the various stations at a few degrees Fahrenheit above the influx water, a thermally efficient cooling system is provided. Each of the cooling stations is provided with weir height control means to optimize the cooling rate along the length of the conveyor belt. By transverse flow of chilling water across the conveyor belt path, a turbulence is created that further accelerates cooling of the product. The apparatus and method of this invention is particularly adapted to the cooling of steam cooked food products, such as lobster and seafood, delivered directly from the cooker.