ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY IN THE FOOD COOLING SYSTEM
The purpose of the study was to find and substantiate new ways of reducing energy costs for food products cooling in the process of their production and treatment by using natural cold. The scheme of a refrigerating chamber for products cooling for a short-term storage with the use of natural cold, produced by means of the thermo-syphon system, has been developed. The possibility and expediency of placing a storage facility of this type on the ground at the junction of the block of auxiliary dairy farm premises and the cowshed, preferably on the north side, are proved by the fact that the thermosyphon system makes it possible to accumulate cold in the ice storage chamber by forming ice at negative ambient temperatures. The research methods used included up-to-date information technologies, analytical studies of heat exchange processes in the system of «ATIV» based on classical mechanics, hydraulics, thermodynamics, hydro- and-ice-thermal science, theory of experimental planning and the principles of creating problem-oriented software packages. Calculation and analysis of process parameters were carried out using the theory of mathematical data processing. The working capacity of the ice storage room, depending on the annual milk yield and the number of cows on the dairy farm, was determined. It was calculated that for a 200-cow heads farm with annual milk yield of 3000 liters, the required ice-storage capacity should be 224 m<sup>3</sup>, while for a farm with 200 cows with an annual milk yield of 6000 liters, it had to be 450 liters. Moreover, there should also be provided the capacity for non-freezing water needed for the ice water pump operation, being equal to 5-7% of the working one, in the ice storage facility. It is concluded that the use of refrigerated chambers with thermosyphons will ensure the process of food products cooling year-round, without power consumption.