The deterioration of freshly harvested horticultural crops prior to storage can be minimized by rapid pre-cooling. This deterioration occurs for two reasons: (i) the respiration rate is typically high due to high ambient temperatures at harvest, and (ii) physiological activity of the produce is at peak levels. Thus, precooling is essential. / Many precooling techniques are used in the horticulture industry today. Their main purpose is to rapidly extract heat from the produce by using a suitable fluid for the heat extraction/rejection process. / The efficiency of a cooling method depends on many factors: the cooling fluid used, the morphological characteristics of the product, the type and shape of packing, the system design, etc.. It is therefore relatively difficult to compare the efficiencies of cooling systems or to evaluate the effect of each parameter on system efficiency. A new method for assessing cooling system efficiency was therefore developed. The technique was based on the capacity of the system to maintain the product temperature at the surface as low as possible without affecting the morphological characteristics of the product. It was shown that this method of assessing efficiency was effective under field conditions. / A low cost liquid-ice system was designed and tested for broccoli precooling. It is based on ice particle injection into a water stream, the mixture then being pumped into the box of produce to be precooled. The effects of different ice particle sizes and ice-water ratios on the medium temperature of broccoli, the mass of ice remaining in the boxes of produce and the icing efficiency were analyzed. The results led to the establishment of optimum conditions for the parameters of the proposed system.

No description available.

Forced convection cooling process is the most widely used method of cooling to extend shelf life of horticultural produce after harvest. However, heterogeneous cooling of produce inside different parts of ventilated packages is a serious problem. Therefore, it is essential to design packages that facilitate air circulation throughout the entire package to provide uniform cooling. Selection of appropriate combinations of air temperature and velocity for a given vent design is currently done largely by experimental trial and error approach. A more logical approach in designing new packages, to provide uniform cooling, is to develop mathematical models that would be able to predict package performance without requiring costly experiments. / In this study, mathematical models of simultaneous airflow, heat and mass transfer during forced convection cooling process were developed and validated with experimental data. The study showed that produce cooling is strongly influenced by different ventilated package designs. Generally, cooling uniformity was increased by increasing number of vents from 1 (2.4% vent area) to 5 (12.1% vent area). More uniform produce cooling was obtained at less cooling time when vents were uniformly distributed on package walls with at least 4.8% opening areas. Aerodynamic studies showed that heterogeneity of airflow distribution during the process is strongly influenced by different package vent configurations. The highest cooling heterogeneity index (108%) was recorded at 2.4% vent area whereas lowest heterogeneity index (0%) was detected in a package with 12.1% vent area. / The magnitudes of produce evaporative cooling (EC) and heat generation by respiration (HG) as well as the interactive effects of EC, HG and package vent design on produce cooling time were also investigated. Considerable differences in cooling times were obtained with regard to independent and simultaneous effects of EC and HG in different package vent configurations. Cooling time was increased to about 47% in a package with 1 vent compared to packages with 3 and 5 vents considering simultaneous effects of EC and HG. Therefore, the effects of EC and HG can be influential in designing the forced-air precooling system and consequently, in the accurate determination of cooling time and the corresponding refrigeration load.

No description available.

Precooling, or a reduction in core temperature (Tc) has been demonstrated to be a potent enhancer of endurance running performance, however there is no known mechanism for this improvement. By holding the exercise workload constant, changes in variables such as running economy (RE), heart rate, and ventilation (VE) can be determined as a result of precooling. Improved running economy, or a reduced oxygen cost of a specific workload, is linked to improved exercise performance. Purpose: To determine the changes in flexibility, RE, heart rate, VE, and Tc during running at a constant workload following cool water immersion and to determine any sex-specific responses. Methods: Fourteen well-trained runners (8 males and 6 females) completed four treadmill runs at a sex-specific velocity (8.0 mph for females and 8.6 mph for males). The first two runs served as accommodation trials. The third and fourth runs were preceded by either cool water immersion (24.8oC) for 40 minutes or quiet sitting. Oxygen consumption, heart rate, Tc, VE, and flexibility were measured during both experimental trials. Results: Running economy did not change as a result of the precooling treatment, whereas Tc and heart rate were reduced by 0.4oC and 5 beats per minute, respectively. Minute ventilation was reduced in the female subjects only (1.4 liters/min). Sex differences were apparent in Tc, heart rate, VE, and flexibility response. Conclusion: While the precooling procedure was effective in reducing Tc and heart rate, RE did not change. Thus, improvements in RE cannot explain the dramatic enhancements of endurance running performance that often occur post-cooling. Differences between male and female subjects in response to precooling were identified, most notably in VE.

Precooling is a method used to decrease initial pre-exercise core temperature in order to facilitate a greater margin for heat production before a maximum core temperature is reached. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in physiological and perceptual effects of precooling using beverages of three different temperatures: room temperature beverage (24.88 ± 1.13°C), cold beverage (6.15 ± 3.16°C) and ice slushy (-1.61 ± 0.45°C) in a hot environment (27.88 ± 0.72°C and 35.36 ± 0.83°C for wet globe bulb temperature and dry bulb temperature respectively). For all trials the environmental temperature was set to 35°C with 56% rh. For this study, 10 physically active females (age= 23.7 ± 2.26 years, height=1.74 ± 0.23 m, weight=66.27 ± 0.92 kg, BMI=24.14 ± 2.63 kg/m2, body fat= 22.99 ± 2.37% and VO2 max= 43.61 ± 4.78 ml/kg/min) participated in the study. On three separate occasions participants precooled via beverage consumption over a 30-minute period with a 5-minute rest period before beginning a 45-minute interval treadmill protocol. Following exercise, participants then re-cooled for 15 minutes. Each subject precooled and re-cooled with all three beverages at their respective temperature. Treatments were randomized. There were no significant differences found for TGI during precooling, exercise or re-cooling Mean HR and mean TSK during precooling were significantly lower in the ice slushy trial as compared to the room temperature trial (HR = 75.7 ± 15.7 and 80.1 ± 16.4 bpm; respectively, p < 0.05 ; TSK = 34.47 ± 0.74 and 34.21 ± 0.92ºC; respectively, p < 0.05). There was also a significant difference in thermal sensation during precooling among all three beverage temperatures (Thermal sensation = 4.7 ± 0.7, 4.5 ± 0.7 and 4.0 ± 0.7; for room, cold, and ice slushy respectively, p < 0.05). Mean thirst sensation for ice slushy was also significantly lower during precooling when compared to cold (p < 0.05) and room temperature beverages (p < 0.05). Mean thirst sensation was also significantly lower during exercise for ice slushy compared to cold (p < 0.05) and room temperature (p < 0.05) (precooling thirst sensation= 2.3 ± 1.0, 2.1 ± 1.1 and 1.6 ± 1.0; exercise 4.1 ± 2.0, 4.5 ± 1.7 and 3.2 ± 1.6 for room, cold and ice slushy respectively). During re-cooling mean thirst sensation was significantly lower for ice slush as compared to room temperature (p < 0.05). Results from the current study suggest that precooling with an ice slushy as compared to a cold or room temperature beverage had little to no effect on TGI and a small effect on HR and TSK during precooling. Although, precooling with an ice slushy appeared to be effective at decreasing perceptual measurements.

Sweet corn is classified among highly perishable horticultural commodities. Thus, it can be deteriorated rapidly after harvest resulting in high loss and poorer produce quality. Sweet corn's sugar loss is about four times higher at 10°C compared to 0°C. Precooling, immediately after harvest, has shown to be an effective method to maintain the quality for a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables during storage. Further, this method leads to reduction in metabolism and respiration rate of the produce, retardation of its senescence, and inhibition of growth of pathogens. In addition to diminishing postharvest losses of the produce, efficient precooling is required for increasing the length of duration of marketing time for better profitability. / Precooling of sweet corn was accomplished by three main methods including forced-air, water and vacuum cooling. Operating parameters such as temperature, pressure, orientation of corn cobs, air flow rate and water flow pattern were defined and studied for optimization. The assessment and comparison of the performance of precooling systems was achieved by determining the effect of these parameters on half cooling time and quality of the produce during storage for 7 and 21 days at 1°C and 90-95% RH. In addition, room cooling method was also tested and compared to the three precooling systems. The use of three sweet corn cultivars was important to compare their quality response to different cooling methods. / Experiments were performed on a lab-scale vacuum cooler and modified forced-air and water cooler systems. The results showed that changing the cob orientation perpendicular to the direction of flow medium, using higher air flow rate in forced-air cooling and immersed water flow pattern in water cooling, can significantly reduce the half cooling time of the produce. Finally, the best method to be recommended for precooling sweet corn is by using hydrocooling which results in superior quality produce and minimum time.

No description available.

Purpose: Reducing body temperature before exercise is called precooling. Past research suggests that reducing body core temperature (Tc) slightly can result in improved running performance. This study evaluated the effects that warming up, while wearing a cooling vest prior to an interval workout, had on Tc, and interval time in long-distance runners. Methods: Nineteen healthy male collegiate cross-country runners were recruited for this study. Each subject warmed up and exercised under two different conditions: (a) an experimental condition in which subjects wore a Nike PreCool® ice vest during warm-up and (b) a control condition. Subjects performed a warm-up followed by running eight 1000 m intervals separated by 90 s of rest. Heart rate (HR) and Tc were measured prior to warm-up, just prior to start of the first interval, and after each interval. Results: Tc measured directly prior to the first interval was significantly lower in the vest condition than the non-vest condition (difference = 0.37°C; P < 0.05). This difference persisted through the end of the sixth interval. Tc rose at a faster rate in the non-vest condition, though this difference was not significant (P = 0.07). Differences in HR and interval times were found to be nonsignificant between conditions for all intervals. Conclusion: Wearing an ice vest prior to and during warm-up effectively lowers Tc during long-distance interval training.

Orientadores: Luis Augusto Barbosa Cortez, Clement Vigneault / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T00:29:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Castro_LarissaRodriguesde_D.pdf: 2524603 bytes, checksum: 96c23f390f533440db271887126eb814 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004 / Resumo: Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo desenvolver uma metodologia para o projeto dos orifícios de embalagens para frutas e hortaliças submetidas ao processo de resfriamento rápido a ar forçado. Tendo em vista as altas perdas registradas anualmente sobretudo devido à falta de embalagens adequadas e armazenagem frigorificada, tal metodologia poderá auxiliar de forma prática e precisa a escolha da configuração dos orifícios da embalagem para maximização da eficiência do resfriamento rápido de produtos hortícolas. Esta ferramenta deverá ser utilizada em combinação com demais tecnologias existentes para o projeto de uma embalagem suficientemente atrativa ao consumidor e que atenda não apenas às necessidades do produto submetido a tratamentos pós-colheita, como também à resistência estrutural da caixa, possibilitando inclusive sua higienização, reutilização e desmontagem, visando reduzir custos de confecção e transporte. Para atingir a meta da pesquisa, os produtos hortícolas acondicionados em embalagens foram representados por produtos-modelo nos experimentos laboratoriais. Vários materiais e arranjos experimentais foram testados até se chegar à simulação de uma embalagem com um grupo de esferas plásticas sólidas instrumentadas. Estas simularam com maior precisão a distribuição do ar através de um leito de produtos hortícolas durante o resfriamento rápido a ar forçado. A partir dos resultados obtidos para o coeficiente de resfriamento das esferas, foram desenvolvidas correlações para determinação indireta da velocidade de aproximação do ar ao redor de cada uma delas, considerando sua posição na embalagem relativa ao ar de entrada. Estas correlações foram posteriormente aprimoradas através do refinamento da pesquisa na faixa de regime de fluxo transiente. A precisão das correlações estabelecidas foi verificada através de análises de balanço de massa nas camadas de produto ao longo da direção do fluxo de ar. A metodologia foi aplicada para a investigação do efeito de diferentes configurações de abertura de embalagem na distribuição do ar através do produto submetido ao resfriamento. Tais configurações incluíram orifícios centrais, periféricos, diagonais e uniformemente distribuídos, além das aberturas tipo ¿alça¿ para manuseio. Também foi realizada uma análise energética envolvendo o calor adicionado ao sistema devido à taxa respiratória do produto e ao funcionamento do ventilador usado no resfriamento rápido. Através da ferramenta desenvolvida, foram definidos certos valores de operação do sistema para maximizar a eficiência do processo de resfriamento, em termos de velocidade e uniformidade de resfriamento e energia requerida, que afetarão a qualidade e preço finais do produto. Assim, recomenda-se o projeto de orifícios uniformemente distribuídos na superfície da embalagem com área total aberta entre 8 e 16% . A porcentagem a ser escolhida nesta faixa dependerá dos limites de resistência estrutural do material, fluxo de ar fornecido pelo ventilador e taxa respiratória do produto. Por exemplo, hortícolas com atividade metabólica muito elevada, como brócolis, acondicionados em caixas mais abertas exigirão um maior fluxo de ar para otimização do processo de resfriamento rápido / Abstract: The aim of this research was to develop a methodology for designing container openings for fruits and vegetables submitted to a forced-air precooling process. Due to significant annual losses of fruits and vegetables, especially because of inappropriate packaging and storage, this tool could allow practical and accurate selection of the best package opening configuration to maximize the precooling efficiency of horticultural produce. The tool should be combined with other technologies currently in market use to design a container sufficiently attractive to consumers. This container must not only meet the produce requirements when submitted to postharvest operations, but also the material structural constraints. Furthermore, reusable and foldable containers could be desirable for manufacture and transport cost reductions. To this end, packed horticultural produce were represented by produce simulators in the trials. Several materials and experimental set-ups were tested before selecting an arrangement of instrumented solid plastic spheres in a container. These spheres simulated the air distribution through a horticultural produce stack during forced-air precooling with more accuracy. Correlations were established by measuring the cooling rate of the instrumented simulators for indirect determination of the surrounding air velocity, as a function of the simulator locations in reference to the inlet air. These correlations were further improved by refining the airflow range studied in laminar, transient, and turbulent phases. Their applicability was verified by performing a mass balance through the produce layers perpendicular to the main airflow direction. The methodology was applied to investigate the container opening design on air distribution through horticultural produce submitted to precooling. The configurations tested included central, peripheral, diagonal, and uniformly distributed openings, besides the container handle openings. Furthermore, an energy analysis was performed involving heat added to the system due to produce respiratory rate and fan functioning during precooling. The research tool developed here allowed defining some optimum values for system operation to maximize the cooling efficiency regarding the process rate and uniformity and required energy, which affect produce final quality and cost. Therefore, it is recommended that design openings be uniformly distributed on package surface with total vented area between 8 and 16%. The exact percentage to be selected in this range will depend on the material structural resistance, airflow and produce respiratory rates. For instance, horticultural produce with very high respiratory activity, such as broccoli, require higher airflow rate when submitted to larger venting package to optimize precooling process / Doutorado / Tecnologia Pós-Colheita / Doutor em Engenharia Agrícola