THE PERFORMANCE OF AN ICE BANK COOLING SYSTEM FOR USE IN VEGETABLE STORAGE

R.T. Lindsay, M.A. Neale, H.J.M. Messer
The amount of heat to be removed from a vegetable store varies greatly from day to day depending on the amount of produce put into it, and the quantity of field heat to be removed from that produce. The heat transferred from vegetables to the air in conventional cold stores is removed directly by a refrigeration plant of fixed capacity so that often the plant is either too large or too small for the heat load.

In an ice bank cooling system for a vegetable store, a small refrigeration unit is used continuously to make ice in a large tank of water. Chilled water surrounding the ice is sprayed into the air used to cool the store and the warmed water is returned to the tank where it is cooled again by melting ice. In this way, the capital cost of the cooling equipment can be reduced, a varying demand for heat removal is satisfied and air at high humidity is supplied to the store to avoid crop dehydration.

An ice bank system powered by a 750 W refrigeration plant was used in experiments to cool air that had been artificially heated and humidified and the amount of heat removed from the air and the power required are given.

Lindsay, R.T., Neale, M.A. and Messer, H.J.M. (1974). THE PERFORMANCE OF AN ICE BANK COOLING SYSTEM FOR USE IN VEGETABLE STORAGE. Acta Hortic. 38, 421-442
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1974.38.34
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1974.38.34
38_34
421-442

Acta Horticulturae