Development and Investigation of a Novel Freezer Attachment for Rapid Freezing of Frozen Dairy Products

Frozen dairy products are very popular among people as they have a wide variety of tastes, textures, and shapes, all meant to give a pleasing sensory experience. Kulfi, or artisan ice cream and frozen yogurt or yogurt ice cream, are among the most popular forms of frozen dairy products. Freezing is a crucial and important part of making these products. In households, there is no such system available that facilitates rapid freezing with convenience. To address this research gap, a novel freezer attachment was developed based on heat transfer fluid and phase-changing material to facilitate rapid freezing of frozen dairy products. The experimental analysis showed that the attachment was capable of freezing the product from any temperature due to the cooling energy (489.72 kJ) present in it. Simulation modeling also validated the experimental results by showcasing promising results like the product frozen in the attachment had a more uniform temperature and higher average heat flux (24.51%–37.34%) compared to the product frozen without the attachment. The freezer attachment not only significantly reduced the freezing time (56.82%–73.08%) of the products but also facilitated uniform product temperature, reduced and stabilized temperature fluctuations (56.99%–57.94%), increased the freezing rate (6.95°–8.93°C/min), reduced energy consumption (56.99%–74.47%), improved the product's textural properties, and enhanced the sensory attributes. The novel freezer attachment revolutionizes the way frozen dairy products are frozen in households because of its enormous advantages over conventional methods.