REFRIGERATED STORAGE

Instructional Objectives:
1. Identify the main parts of a simple refrigeration set up and explain the working principle of each
2. Compare the different refrigerants
3. Enumerate the different sources of heat
4. Discuss the compatibility of fresh produce during storage
5. Discuss the symptoms and causes of physiological disorders that occur during storage
6. Discuss how condensation occurs after storage and how to prevent it

Refrigeration – mechanical process of removing heat from a storage area.

Objectives of Refrigeration
1. Extend market season
2. Avoid market gluts’
3. Limit losses due to deterioration

When to Store in a Cold room

1. Commodities produced once a year
2. Commodities imported few times a year but consumed frequently
3. Expensive produce
4. Commodity produce a head of need

Structural Requirements to attain the above Objectives:

1. Sufficient refrigeration capacity - amount of heat of refrigeration system can remove within a given time;
expressed as BTU or ton refrigeration.
2. Sufficient air circulation – expressed as air changed calculated for empty space; air change is ratio of
volume of outside air introduced in the store room in one hour to the volume of an empty room.
3. Proper insulation – to limit exchange of heat between the store room and the environment.

Components of Refrigeration System

1. Evaporator - finned aluminum coil with attached fans for forcing the storage air pass the coils; serves as
heat exchanger.
2. Compressor – serves as pump to circulate refrigerant through the system; gaseous refrigerant is
pressurized by the compressor thereby raising its temperature above ambient.
3. Condenser – heat exchanger similar to evaporator; as the pressurized refrigerant flows through the
condenser, it losses its heat to the atmosphere causing it to condensed in liquid form.
4. Expansion valve – regulates flow of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator to maintain a constant
temperature difference between the coil inlet and outlet.

Steps in Cooling
1. Heat of produce absorbed by the refrigerant which vaporizes
2. Vaporized refrigerant is compressed
3. Heat flows from hot refrigerant to ambient air so refrigerant condenses
4. As more refrigerant condenses, it is forced to move to the expansion valve

Commonly use Refrigerant

1. Inorganic compound such as ammonia; toxic to humans at high concentration
2. Halocarbon compounds such as Freon R-12 (dichlorodifluoromethane) or Freon R-22
3. Hydro-fluorocarbon compounds (HFC) such as 134A, 404A; these are replacements for CFC-12 and CFC-22

Sources of Heat in Cold Room or Truck

1. Heat flow through walls, ceiling and floors (transmission load)
2. Heat of respiration from produce ( vital heat)
3. Field heat (product load)
4. Heat from air entering the room (air infiltration load)
5. Heat from equipments such as lights, fans, forklifts, motors (internal load)
6. Heat from people working inside the cold room(internal load)

Cold Storage Management during Long-Term Storage

1. Sanitation – cold room and containers.
2. Maintain temperature requirement of produce – the best temperature is the one at which commodities
can be stored without abnormalities in its metabolism; tropical commodities are best stored at 10-15˚C
while temperate commodities at 0-5˚C.
3. Store only excellent quality produce of proper maturity
4. Stack containers properly
5. Commodities should be compatible with respect to their requirements for: temperature, RH, atmosphere,
ethylene, odor.

Causes of shortened storage life

1. Microbial attack
2. Development of physiological disorders
3. Loss of ability to ripen normally after removal from cold storage
4. Excessive water loss

Physiological Disorder during Low Temperature Storage

1. Greening of potatoes – associated with the formation of solanine, a potentially toxic compound; due to
prolonged exposure to light in cold rooms
2. Chilling injury – occurs when a commodity is stored at low temperature lower than is required; time-
temperature effect:
General symptoms of Chilling Injury:
- black spots later coalescing
- pitting – sunken area on the surface of the fruit
- internal discoloration
- failure to ripen
- increase susceptibility to disease

Overcoming Chilling Injury

- temperature preconditioning
- intermittent warming
- CA and hypobaric storage
- breeding for resistant lines
- Ca treatment
3. Ammonia injury – cause by leaking ammonia in the storage room; slight injury manifest as greenish-black
discoloration or the outer tissues of fruits and vegetables.

Post-storage Consideration
1. Prevention of condensation when commodities are brought out of storage; this occurs when warm humid
air hits the surface of the commodity or the container.
2. Conditioning of potatoes – tubers are de-sweetened for processing by holding 2-3 weeks at 15-20˚C during
which sugars are reconverted to starch.
3. Conditioning of cutflowers – done immediately after storage
- after removing from cold dry pack, re-cut stems (slanted; about 3 cm); soak for 12-24 hours in warm
preservative at 20˚C; add 5-10% sugar solution for flower opening.