Refrigeration Solution for Australia Dairy Farm
One of the most important jobs on-farm is protecting your “cash crop” – in other words, making sure the milk vat is cooling milk fast enough, holding temperature and agitating your milk until it leaves your farm. Production of milk usually involves long term production and processing of milk for the purpose of selling dairy products. The process usually involves production, processing, and refrigeration of milk. Chiller manufacturers have been providing refrigeration solutions for dairy farming for a long time. However, the refrigeration solution for storage of milk has evolved over the years and has witnessed several advancements.
The glycol chiller refrigeration system is a popular option for dairy farmers since it preserves milk quality and also reduces energy costs. This article explains the key points of the Australian Dairy market and how glycol chillers are the optimal solution.
Dairy Farm facts & statistics for Australia
- Australia is the third-largest dairy exporter of dairy products worldwide.
- The largest dairy industry in Australia is the state, Victoria.
- Australia has 8594 dairy farms with approximately 1.6 million cows as per data collected in 2011.
- Dairy farmers produce 9102 million litres of whole milk per year.
- The average consumption per person per year for dairy products like cheese is 12.9 KGs, milk is 102.4 litres.
- Australia accounts for 10% of all global dairy products, with New Zealand at 35% and European Union at 32%.
Working Principle of a Dairy Chiller
Refrigeration is a basic requirement for the processing and storage of milk and milk products as majority of dairy products are perishable in nature. This type of a refrigeration system involves the circulation of glycol solution which is effective in capturing heat from the fluid and works on the principle of heat transfer. The basic principle of a chiller is to use electrical energy to produce cold fluid and also to transfer this cold fluid from a refrigeration unit to the target area and capture the hot fluid back to the refrigeration unit.
In fact, the operating range of a chiller is determined by the boiling point and freezing point of the fluid used for heat transfer. Glycol is a heat transfer fluid that operates in a wide range of temperatures and is relative to the amount of water in the mixture. Thus, a Glycol chiller is very effective since it has excellent heat transfer elements. A refrigeration cycle of this kind starts with low-pressure liquid or gas entering through an evaporator. The heat from the glycol solution will boil the refrigerant which in turn acts as a coolant. Glycol chillers are very efficient in keeping consistent and precise temperature; the reason being that Glycol is one of the most efficient chemicals when it comes to transferring heat.
Glycol Chiller – A good solution
Glycol is considered as one of the most useful chemicals for chiller manufacturers, as it reaches its maximum freezing point when mixed with water and is efficient in the heat transfer process. There are two types of glycol; while ethylene glycol is useful for several industrial applications, propylene glycol is useful for food.
The glycol chiller has the ability to cool many types of liquids including alcohol, beverages, and milk. It involves the system of glycol, metering device, compressor, evaporator, condenser, a buffer tank as well as a chilling unit. Hence, the glycol chiller is very efficient in keeping milk cold and even prevent any unexpected temperature fluctuations or unexpected system operations. Temperature control is vital to the dairy farming where it is essential to keep the milk cool.
