The objective of this work is to build an experimental portable forced-air freezing tunnel which creates a low or high pressure region surrounding the product. Comparative studies with air exhausting and blowing were conducted. The tunnel was built and placed inside a freezing product storage chamber, and the objective was to improve the air circulation and the thermal distribution between the product and cold air for a sample batch left inside the chamber. A heat transfer analysis comparing the process and the air distribution around the product was performed. The air evacuation process reduced up to 14% of the freezing time in relation to the blowing system and 10% in relation to the mixed system.293667675Allais, I., Alvarez, G., Flick, D., Modelling cooling kinetics of spheres during mist chilling (2006) Journal of Food Engineering, 72 (2), pp. 197-209Alvarez, G., Letang, G., Transferts de chaleur et de matiere au sein d'un échanger de type 'palette' (1994) Revue du Froid, 47, pp. 47-49Antoniali, S., Cortez, L.A.B., Resfriamento rápido com ar forçado para conservação pós-colheita de alface crespa (2005) In: Encontro de energia no meio rural, 3, 2000, Campinas. Proceedings online, , http://www.proceedings.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=MSC0000000022000000100010&lng=en&nrm=abn, Disponível em, Acesso em: 03 Outubro(2002) ASHRAE Refrigeration, , Atlanta, Georgia: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, IncBaird, C.D., Gaffney, J.J., Talbot, M.T., Design criteria for efficient and cost effective forced air cooling systems for fruits and vegetables (1988) ASHRAE Transactions Atlanta, 94 (1), pp. 1434-1453Delgado, A.E., Sun, D.W., Heat and mass transfer models for predicting freezing processes - a review (2001) Journal of Food Engineering, 47 (3), pp. 157-174Dussán Sarria, S., Dussán Sarria, S., Honório, S.L., Nogueira, D.H., (2006), 61 (6), pp. 401-406Fraser, H., Tunnel Forced-Air Coolers for Fresh Fruits & Vegetables (2007) Canada: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Government of Ontario, , http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/98-031.htm, Disponível em Acesso em: AbrilHeldman, D.R., Food Freezing (1992) In: HELDMAN, D. R.LUND, D. B. Handbook of Food Engineering, pp. 277-315. , New York: DekkerLaguerre, O., Ben Amara, S., Flick, D., Heat transfer between wall and packed bed crossed by low velocity airflow (2006) Applied Thermal Engineering, 26 (16), pp. 1951-1960Resende, J.V., Silveira Jr., V., Medidas da Condutividade Térmica Efetiva em Modelos de Polpas de Frutas no Estado Congelado (2002) Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos, 22 (2), pp. 177-183Resende, J.V., Silveira Jr., V., Escoamento de ar através de embalagens de polpa de frutas em caixas comerciais: Efeitos sobre os perfis de velocidade em túneis de congelamento (2002) Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos, 22 (2), pp. 184-191Salvadori, V.O., Mascheroni, R.H., Freezing of strawberry pulp in large containers: Experimental determination and prediction of freezing times (1996) International Journal of Refrigeration, 19 (2), pp. 87-94Santos, C.A., Estudo da Transferência de Calor Durante o Congelamento de Cortes de Aves em Caixas de Papelão Ondulado (2005) Florianópolis, , SC Dissertação (Mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa CatarinaTalbot, M.T., Chau, K.V., Precooling Strawberries (2005) Florida: Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, , http://edis.at.ufl.edu/AE136, University of Florida, 1998. Disponível em, Acesso em: 04 OutubroTalbot, M.T., Fletcher, J.H., A Portable Demonstration Forced- Air Cooler (2005) Florida: Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, , http://edis.at.ufl.edu/AE096, University of Florida, 1996, Disponível em Acesso em:12 SetembroThompson, J.F., (2004) Pre-cooling and Storage Facilities. In: USDA. Agriculture Handbook Number 66 - DRAFT, , United States: Department of Agriculture. (Revisado emVigneault, C., Plastic container opening area for optimum hydrocooling (2004) Canadian Biosystems Engineering, 46, pp. 341-344Vigneault, C., de Castro, L.R., Gautron, G., Effect of open handles on packages during precooling process of horticultural produce (2004) ASAE Annual International Meeting, pp. 6901-6908Welti-Chanes, J., Vergara-Balderas, F., Bermudezaguirre, D., Basic concepts and advances (2005) Journal of Food Engineering, 67 (1-2), pp. 113-128. , Transport phenomena in food engineering, Março