EVAPORATIVE COLD ROOMS

Dr. Randolph Beaudry, Michigan State UniversityDr. Sangeeta Chopra, IARI, New Delhi

Reducing temperature reduces metabolism

Use of cool storage technologies dates back several thousand years

A Wind catcher & qanat in Persia

Historical innovations in evaporative cooling:

Pot-in-pot (Zeer pot) evaporative cooler Nigeria

1600’s Leonardo Da Vinci was likely the first to use a mechanical air cooler.

This air cooler consisted of a hollow water wheel with an air passage constructed to guide the air from the water wheel to his patron's wife's boudoir (bedroom). The air was cooled by the splashing and evaporation of water during operation of the water wheel.

Historical innovations in evaporative cooling:

Rajasthan, India (2015)

1980’s - EVAPORATIVE COOL STORAGE FACILITIES - INDIA

Commodity Shelf life in Evaporative Cooled Room (days)

Shelf life in ordinary room (days)

Month of storage

Kinnow (early season) 32 21 January

Kinnow (mid season) 32 17 January

Kinnow (late season) 23 11 March Tomatoes 19 7 May

Zero energy cool store– West Bengal, India (2010-ish)

Low cost evaporative cooling:

Where will evaporative cooling perform:

Where will evaporative cooling perform:

Low cost evaporative cooling facility - IARI:

Low cost evaporative cooling facility - IARI:

Low cost evaporative cooling facility - IARI:

Low cost evaporative cooling facility - IARI:

Average 'product' temperatures for 100 kg of water in 1- and 2-L water bottles heated to 40 °C, then placed inside pre-cooled EC structures from 21 June to 29 June, 2016 at IARI, Delhi, India. Rain events on 23 and 28 June brought about rapid cooling of the ambient air

Maximum air temperature of the environment and inside EC structures of the environment and inside EC structures from 21 June to 29 June, 2016 at IARI, Delhi, India.

Full-scale room construction

Full-scale room construction

Roof construction

Roof construction

Thermal models permit relatively accurate predictions of cooling by water evaporation in our 1/10th scale structures.

Fabric ‘walls’ out-performed pervious concrete and brick-sand-brick designs

Fabric-wall storage structures cost about ½ as much as brick-sand-brick designs

Longevity of materials need to be tested.

Water quality may be an issue.

NEXT: Full-scale structuresImplementation of solar refrigeration to augment cooling

IARI project in evaporative cooling:

Thank you and travel safe!