United States.
A McDonald's franchise is in the process of changing its identity as a business; part of that shift is moving to eco-friendly natural refrigerants.
Caspers is one of the oldest logistics companies in Florida. The business began in 1973 as a franchisee owner-operator of McDonalds restaurants, and currently has 53 outlets in the Tampa area; in 1998, Caspers also became a storage and distribution center for its restaurants.
Now, the company plans to sell McDonald's distribution business (holding on to restaurants) in favor of starting a new warehouse and transportation job for the storage of frozen food for other companies.
The construction of the new facility – which will include a main freezing chamber and two freezing tunnels – would appear to herald a drastic change in Caspers' business model.
The new engine room facility will consist of two packaged ammonia refrigeration systems, including an ammonia/CO2 cascade system.
The team supplies ammonia to a -10°C cooled freezer by two separate attic units, each with three low-load DX ammonia evaporators, which have a total capacity of 353TR; the ammonia also goes to a 35°F spring area cooled by six DX ammonia evaporators under suspended ceiling load with a capacity of 86TR. The recirculated CO2 is used in two blast evaporators ranging up to -45°C; each cell has a load of 48TR.
The system's approximate ammonia load is 5,500 pounds, well below the 10,000-pound threshold that calls for stricter regulation. The CO2 load is about 3,000 pounds.
