Rack-aisle freezing system for palletized product

An installation for freezing and cold storage of palletized product, comprising:

• a cold storage warehouse space;
• at least one chiller in said warehouse space that produces freezing air and maintains the temperature of ambient air in the warehouse space below freezing;
• a plurality of air flow chambers arranged in spaced-apart rows, each said chamber having at least one air intake opening, at least one air handler and an air outlet opening to enable freezing air to be drawn into the chambers through the air inlets and exhausted into the warehouse space through the air outlets;
• and
• a plurality of pallet guides arranged at the chamber openings for supporting pallets of product to be frozen in sealing engagement with the air intake openings, whereby freezing air is drawn through the palletized product to thereby quickly freeze the product;
• said rows of chambers and their respective pallet guides being spaced apart from adjacent rows of chambers and pallet guides to form at least one aisle sufficiently wide to accommodate a forklift to pass therebetween;
• wherein the at least one chiller is mounted in the warehouse space remotely from the chambers.

A method for quickly freezing palletized product in a cold storage warehouse space, comprising:

• producing flowing freezing air by means of at least one chiller in the cold storage warehouse space to thereby cool ambient air within the warehouse space to a sub-freezing temperature;
• providing an airflow chamber that is substantially sealed and has a plurality of air intake openings on opposite sides thereof;
• positioning a plurality of palletized product stacks against the air intake openings;
• and
• creating a negative air pressure within the air chamber to thereby draw freezing ambient air from the warehouse space through the palletized product and through the air intake in openings to thereby freeze the product.

An installation for chilling and cold storage of palletized product, comprising:

• a cold storage warehouse space;
• at least one chiller in said warehouse space that produces cold air and maintains the temperature of ambient air in the warehouse space at a temperature sufficient to chill the product;
• at least one air flow chamber including a plurality of air intake openings, at least one air handler and an air outlet opening to enable the ambient air to be drawn into the chamber through the intake openings and exhausted into the warehouse space through the air outlet;
• a plurality of pallet guides for supporting pallets of product to be chilled in sealing engagement with the air intake openings, whereby chilling air is drawn through the palletized product to thereby quickly chill the product;
• wherein the at least one chiller is mounted in the warehouse space remotely from the chamber;
• and
• wherein the chamber has a plurality of said air intake openings on opposite sides thereof

An installation for chilling and cold storage of palletized product, comprising:

• a cold storage warehouse space;
• at least one chiller in said warehouse space that produces cold air and maintains the temperature of ambient air in the warehouse space at a temperature sufficient to chill the product;
• a plurality of air flow chambers arranged in spaced-apart rows, each said chamber having at least one air intake opening, at least one air handler and an air outlet opening to enable the ambient chilling air to be drawn into the chambers through the air inlets and exhausted into the warehouse space through the air outlets;
• and
• a plurality of pallet guides arranged at the chamber openings for supporting pallets of product to be chilled in sealing engagement with the air intake openings, whereby ambient chilling air is drawn through the palletized product to thereby quickly chill the product;
• said rows of chambers and their respective pallet guides being spaced apart from adjacent rows of chambers and pallet guides to form at least one aisle sufficiently wide to accommodate a forklift to pass therebetween;
• wherein the at least one chiller is mounted in the warehouse space remotely from the chambers.