Method of cooling of articles and materials

Claim 1

In a method of chilling articles or materials wherein a cooling gas stream is produced from a deep-cooling liquefied gas, and the cooling gas stream is passed into direct contact with the articles or materials to chill the same, the improvement which comprises: a. evaporating said liquefied gas to produce a first cold gas stream; b. passing a further gas stream, independent of said first cold gas stream, into direct heat exchange with an evaporating fluid to cool said further gas stream and generate therefrom a second cold gas stream; c. mixing said first and said second cold gas streams to form a mixture thereof which is brought into direct contact with said articles or materials in the cooling thereof d. circulating said second cold gas stream at least in part through a cooling zone traversed by said articles or materials and having a cold end and a warm end, said cold gas streams being mixed in step (c) within said cooling zone, said first cold gas stream being introduced into said cooling zone at a cold end thereof, said second cold gas stream being introduced into said cooling zone at an intermediate location therealong at a temperature greater than the temperature at which said first cold gas stream is introduced into said cooling zone whereby said second cold gas stream is subjected to heat exchange with said articles or materials; e. passing said articles or materials through said zone from said warm end to said cold end in countermovement to the gases traversing said zone; and f. removing the mixed gases at said warm end.