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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - nanoICE (Optimisation and Large-scale Commercialisation of Next Generation Cooling Equipment for Food Industry)

Teaser

Summary

The equipment currently used by seafood producers, harvesters and processors, NANOICE AS primary target customers, does not adequately address their multiple areas of concern: maximum weight retention, improved shelf-life, improved appearance, reducing hard labour, maximized space for catch, all at an affordable price. nanoICE delivers the solution for all of these challenges. nanoICEâ€™s nano-sized ice particles chill so efficiently that weight retention increases by a minimum of 5% and up to 15%. Improved weight retention implies less bacterial decay which imparts longer shelf-life. The fine particles have no granularity and are incredibly gentle on contact providing an improved appearance as it envelopes delicate scales, gills and feelers. The iceâ€™s consistency also allows the ice to be pumpable which reduces hard labour shovelling. nanoICE machines are compact, fitting on half the size of wooden pallet, and serially manufactured which allows PHI to deliver a technology solution that has a small footprint at an affordable price reducing our customersâ€™ pain points with a return on capex investment of less than 18 months (estimate derived from on pilot and current customer experiences).
In broader context nanoICE is addressing the European and global challenge of reducing food waste. In financial terms, PHI has estimated that nanoICE has the potential to result in cost savings from the reduction of post-harvest losses in Europe of â‚¬142 million in additional revenues for the aquaculture producers alone . Furthermore, in processing industry being a low margin business, even more savings can be realised thanks to better quality and longer shelf life. nanoICE also helps address the broader stresses that other forms of ice machines put on the environment because, although the amount of energy it takes to make ice is constant, the better the quality of ice, the less ice is needed to bring down the temperature of the produce. Less ice needed means less energy and refrigerant used on an outright basis. PHI has also recognized that vessels less than 24m in length often have no ice machine on board at all and load ice at the dock limiting space available and their time at sea to when their ice melts. nanoICE machines are compact enough to fit onto some small boats (power supply dependent) and enable those boats to stay out as long as they need which is a huge benefit compared to their current circumstances. With some development this is a game changer and an open customer market with a need that is not currently met.

Work performed

Throughout the first reporting period of nanoICE project, we managed to conduct a lot of improvements in machine\'s control panel, generator and overall hardware and we are one step closer to a full market-ready product and therefore mass commercialisation. We exceeded our expectations of minimum 10% peak ice over 24-hour period with 2% and and significantly improved the outer frame of the machine using new materials from EU suppliers. We also achieved ability for the machine to work for warm water environments which results in opportunity for a wider market adoption.

Final results

NanoICE is unique compared to other commercial ice producing systems as it introduces novel generator design enabling minimization and adaptability of ice producing facilities along with a scrapping method, leading to better produce quality and longer shelf life. NanoICE technology has applications in various industries. The immediate market for roll out after seafood is vegetables and fruit and thereafter, regulation dependent, in poultry, pork and beef. It is anticipated that more applications will be identified in the future. Some of the other applications include chilling grapes for wine making and fresh cut flower preservation.
The causes of food losses and waste are mainly connected to financial, managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques, storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions, infrastructure, packaging and marketing systems. The invention of nanoICE molecular ice technology occurred following the identification of considerable inefficiencies in the seafood industry and the cold chain. The motivation behind the novelty is that a technological improvement leading to facility optimisation, increased shelf life, produce quality and improved cost/benefit ratio, can be felt through the value chain all the way to the end consumer.
nanoICE ice particles are different from the ordinary flake or slurry ice typically used in the fresh food preservation industries today. nanoICE crystals are less than 1 micron in diameter, more than 150 of which could fit on the width of a human hair. Effective direct chilling is all about surface area. The more surface area (ice contact to product) the faster the rate of cooling, the less bacteria, the less waste and the better the shelf-life.

Spiral Chamber Design:
In other ice making evaporator designs, the refrigerant will stay contained within a tube wrapped about the freezing wall, which does not allow for consistent, optimal freezing across the surface area due to its lack of direct contact with the freezing wall. While this inferior design creates an even flow of refrigerant through the freezing chamber, it will not be as efficient in cooling or as quick to react to changing environments within the chamber.

Scrapping Method:
nanoICE generator scrapping design utilizes free floating scrapping and vortex generation for consistent and reliable ice making. These scrappers float freely on specialized winged pins that rotate around the central axis of the generator. The floating scrapper method is unique because it utilizes the centrifugal force of the scrappers around the rotating axis to apply uniform pressure on the freezing wall without any other mechanisms, such as springs seen in other systems, to maintain consistent scrapping force. An added benefit of this design is that scrappers are more resilient to debris in the generator and are free of moving parts that can fail or need to be replaced.