Single pass continous freezer

A system for cooling a product, comprising:

• an enclosed environment including an inlet, an outlet, a first portion, and a second portion disposed opposite the first portion;
• a conveyor system disposed within the enclosed environment and including a conveyor path extending between the inlet and the outlet, the conveyor path defining a helical travel path for the product;
• and
• a refrigeration system configured to generate a cooling airflow that flows from a ducting inlet arranged at or immediately proximate to the first portion to a ducting outlet arranged at or immediately proximate to the second portion,
• wherein the enclosed environment has a monotonic negative pressure gradient from the first portion over the product and to the second portion,
• wherein the cooling airflow is configured to cool the product before the product exits the enclosed environment via the outlet, and
• wherein the ducting outlet comprises a grate disposed in the second portion of the enclosed environment.

A system for cooling a product, comprising:

• an enclosed environment including an inlet, an outlet, a first portion, and a second portion disposed opposite the first portion;
• a conveyor system disposed within the enclosed environment and including a conveyor path extending between the inlet and the outlet, the conveyor path defining a helical travel path for the product;
• an insert disposed in a central aperture of the helical travel path, such that the insert creates a monotonic negative pressure gradient from the first portion to the second portion;
• wherein the system is configured to cool the product before the product exits the enclosed environment via the outlet;
• wherein the insert comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and an outer surface extending between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the outer surface is an angled surface;
• wherein the insert has a first diameter at a top surface and a second diameter at a bottom surface, the second diameter being larger than the first diameter;
• and
• wherein the insert includes a fin disposed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the insert between the top surface and the bottom surface.

A system for cooling a product, comprising:

• an enclosed environment including an inlet, an outlet, a first portion, and a second portion disposed opposite the first portion;
• a conveyor system disposed within the enclosed environment and including a conveyor path extending between the inlet and the outlet, the conveyor path defining a helical travel path for the product;
• a refrigeration system configured to generate a cooling airflow that flows from a ducting inlet arranged at or immediately proximate to the first portion to a ducting outlet arranged at or immediately proximate to the second portion;
• an insert disposed in a central aperture of the helical travel path, such that the insert creates a monotonic negative pressure gradient from the first portion to the second portion;
• wherein the cooling airflow is configured to cool the product before the product exits the enclosed environment via the outlet;
• wherein the monotonic negative pressure gradient is defined by a first pressure disposed proximately to the ducting inlet, a second pressure proximate to the ducting outlet, and a monotonic pressure transition from the first pressure to the second pressure;
• and
• wherein the monotonic pressure gradient is a first monotonic negative pressure gradient in an annular passage of the enclosed environment and the insert creates a second monotonic negative pressure gradient in the central aperture from the first portion to the second portion, the second monotonic negative pressure gradient different from the first monotonic negative pressure gradient.