Panasonic 20hp CO2 unit scoops first install
12th October 2024
UK: The first Panasonic 20hp CO2 condensing unit to be installed outside of Japan has found a home at an award-winning ice cream factory in Devon.
After European availability of the 20hp unit was announced earlier this year, the first unit was installed in August at Dunstaple Farm, the base for Farmer Tom’s Ice Cream near Holsworthy in Devon.
Established over 25 years ago, Farmer Tom’s Ice Cream produces around 15,000 litres of ice cream per week in peak summer. Forty-five different flavours are offered, all using locally sourced Devon cream and milk.
As the ice cream business expanded, Dunstaple Farm extended its cold room facilities 18 months ago, installing two Panasonic 10HP LT CO2 systems into their new low temperature ice cream cold store.
When it was later decided to replace another low temperature rapid freezing system, Panasonic was the obvious choice.
Neil McCourt, technical manager at Bideford-based installer Keep It Cool Refrigeration, knew that the new Panasonic 20hp cold chain unit would perfectly meet Dunstaple Farm’s requirements and would further complement the two existing Panasonic 10hp units.
The existing rapid freezer was designed to lower the temperature of the finished ice cream to -20°C as quickly as possible. However, the freezer door was often left open during loading, causing the temperature to rise to around -12°C to -14°C.
Once frozen, the ice cream is transferred to a holding freezer. This extended, multi-stage freezing process was both time-consuming and inefficient.
Due to ceiling height limitations, a traditional blast freezer could not be installed. To address this, a solution was proposed to operate the freezer at a lower temperature of -30°C, with an evaporating temperature of -37°C. This increased temperature differential would result in faster freezing times.
The 20hp Panasonic CO2 system, paired with a Lu-Ve E50HC CO2 cooler unit, was supplied by Hawco.
Since its installation, the system is said to have been running flawlessly at -30°C, significantly improving the efficiency of Tom’s ice cream production. With the new system, the temperature during loading holds steady at -24°C and maintains -30°C with the door closed. This has reduced freezing times to just five hours in the rapid freezer, allowing the product to be moved to the holding freezer much more quickly.
“The new 20hp Panasonic unit has not only helped to increase our energy efficiency but has additionally increased our productivity by reducing the time it takes to freeze the ice cream by as much as six hours each day,” said Dunstaple Farm owner Tom James.
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Panasonic launches 20hp CO2 units in Europe – 24 January 2024
UK: Panasonic is to roll out its 20hp CO2 condensing unit across Europe, joining its existing range of 2, 4 and 10hp units. Read more…
