研究人員研究更高效的製冷技術

最初的兩個月的項目產生的數據表明,乳製品行業用戶ofrefrigeration可能是最高的,研究人員說在Internetsite出版項目的描述。估計在英國1500年至2000年食品和飲料生產地點是製冷的主要用戶,占超過4500婦女的電能消耗。圖代表了他們的能源消費總量的一半,科學家說大學的食品冷藏和過程工程研究中心(FRPERC)。食品和飲料占總能量的14%由英國企業使用。該行業隻好減少其能源使用到2010年每噸899.6千瓦時的吞吐量,規定經部門環境、食品和農村事務部(Defra)。FRPERC領導項目的協調員,還包括人員布魯內爾,倫敦南岸和SunderlandUniversities。Defra已經采取了它們與識別、開發和培養更節能製冷技術的發展和商業實踐使用整個食物鏈。的研究項目將重點評估能源使用有線的不同部分在整個供應鏈。他們將確定最有前途的技術,係統和商業practicesbefore進行可行性研究。映射運動正在進行,旨在識別和排名前10位的流程方麵的潛力最大限度地實現totallowering改善能源使用。 Researchers are working on completing an energy efficiencyranking for each of the major food categories and processes. To make the estimate researchers are conducting a survey of the published data available from collaboratingorganisations. The researchers will use industry production figures and household consumptionstatistics to determine the largest commodity sectors that use refrigeration. Their initial figures suggest that the dairy industry is likely to be the highest user of refrigeration.UK milk production totalled 6,762,000 tonnes in 2005. Using the assumption that all milk is chilled down to 4ºC from 37ºCthey calculate energy usage has to be reduced by about 240 GWh each year. The second largest user of refrigeration is probably the meat industry, they estimate. With annual UK slaughtered production totalling 1,721,000tonnes and assuming that all this meat is chilled from 37ºC down to 4ºC, they calculate energy usehas to fall by about 60 GWh per year. It has become very clear in the first month of the project that there is a dearth of measured real data on energy consumption of refrigeration systems in theood manufacturing industry," said the researchers. "Most of the available data are estimates based on an educated guess of the proportion of energy used within a factory on refrigeration. Far more detailed data is required to identify the critical 10 areas with the highest potential to make major energy savings." Identifying other major food sectors is more difficult, the researchers say, pointing out thatwhile many fruits and vegetables are being refrigerated, much of the primary cooling is carried out before the product reaches the UK. Once the main refrigeration sectors of use have been established, the more challenging task willbe to complete an assessment of energy use along the food chain. "It is necessary to identify the proportion of product that is frozen, or heated and re-cooled, stored, transportedetc.," the researchers say. "Data for specific processes and measured energy consumption is scarce. At this point, more focused surveys and measurements are planned to obtain the missing data. It is already evident that there is a major difference between the theoretical energy required to change product temperature and the actual energy consumption for refrigeration." The researchers say estimates indicate that refrigeration systems use as much as 15 percent of the total energy consumed worldwide. The UK's plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions is part of an EU programme to progressively put the brakes on industry's production carbon dioxide (CO2) , linked to causing a general rise in the temperatures worldwide. Each member state must detail its programme to reduce CO2 in a National Allocation Plan (NAP). The plan makes allocations to specific industries and then individual plants. Industry must then invest in ways to cut emissions to meet the targets or buy credits under the bloc's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The food processing industry is a major energy consumer and discharger of greenhouse gas through its reliance on cooking, refrigeration, freezing and air compressor systems. The increased investments needed to meet the targets have added to the costs companies must pay to stay in business.