Moisture in cold stores can cause frosted products and slippery floors. Employing cold storage dehumidification is crucial to prevent moisture buildup in cold stores, especially in active ones where products are frequently moved, and different temperature zones are maintained for various goods such as ice cream, frozen foods, and fresh produce.
These cold storage dehumidification systems work by extracting excess moisture from the air, thereby reducing the risk of frost formation and ensuring safer working conditions. Furthermore, they help extend the shelf life of perishable items by maintaining optimal humidity levels. Proper cold storage dehumidification or cold room humidity control system is essential for preserving product quality and minimizing losses due to spoilage in cold storage facilities.
Cold Storage Dehumidification: Mitigating Moisture-Related Challenges
Excess moisture in your cold storage facility can lead to multiple challenges. Some of them are listed below:
- Wet floors and ice build up on walls, floors, and conveyors
- Ice build-up on evaporator coils
- Frost build-up near loading docks
- Fog in the loading dock
- Moisture absorption by cardboard cartons causes them to soften and sag. This makes them unstable and hazardous to workers
- Increase in defrosting costs
- Reduced storage space
- Frequent shutdowns
- Mould and mildew growth
- Decrease in the cooling efficiency due to water vapour loads and clogging of evaporator coils
To combat moisture-related issues in active cold stores, efficient cold storage dehumidification systems are crucial. A cold room dehumidifier effectively maintains optimal humidity levels, preventing ice buildup, and preserving product quality. By investing in advanced dehumidification technology, businesses can minimize downtime, reduce maintenance costs, and ensure a safe and efficient working environment within their cold storage facilities.
In addition to investing in efficient cold storage dehumidification systems, implementing proactive maintenance routines can further mitigate moisture-related challenges. Regular inspection and cleaning of evaporator coils help prevent ice buildup and ensure optimal cooling efficiency. Moreover, sealing any gaps or cracks near loading docks can reduce the ingress of moist air, minimizing fog formation and frost buildup in these areas. Additionally, educating staff on proper handling and storage practices can help mitigate moisture absorption by cardboard cartons, reducing the risk of product damage and workplace hazards. By adopting a comprehensive approach to moisture management, businesses can optimize the performance of their cold storage facilities and safeguard both their products and employees.
Cold Chain
Cold stores are important elements of cold chains. The cold chain mechanism could involve storing perishable food items for considerable periods of time as well as long-distance transport. To prevent deterioration, fruits, flowers, vegetables, milk, and processed foods are first pre-cooled and thereafter stored in a cold store under conditions of low humidity. Cold stores are utilised even during the transit of the perishables from one place to another under conditions of low humidity. In the entire cycle of the cold chain, cold store serves as a vital link in preventing deterioration of perishables.
The mechanism of cold chain is simple. It involves maintaining food articles under conditions of low temperature for better shelf life and for little or no deterioration of perishables.
Humid Air Filtration Contribute 90% of Total Moisture Load
The load is highest at the dock. 90% of total load comes from two sources:
- Opening of doors
- Ingress of fresh air
The substantial moisture load resulting from door openings and the entry of fresh air poses challenges, particularly in maintaining optimal indoor humidity levels.
Moisture load through ingress of fresh air can be minimized by inducting sufficient fresh air duly dehumidified in the loading dock area to keep dry air moving out of the building even when trucks are docked at all the doors.
To mitigate this issue, an effective strategy involves the induction of adequately dehumidified fresh air into the loading dock area. By ensuring a continuous flow of dry air outward from the building, even when trucks are docked at all doors, the ingress of humid air can be minimized. This approach helps in stabilizing indoor humidity levels and reducing the strain on HVAC systems tasked with maintaining comfortable and conducive working environments.
Bry-Air Solution – Moisture Control / Dehumidification In Cold Stores
A cold storage dehumidification system or a cold room dehumidifier provides an effective long term solution by preventing moist air infiltrating into the cold stores through the ante-room. It reduces or eliminates frost; prevents ice formation on evaporator coils, walls, and ceilings by removing moisture from the ante room before it enters the freezer/cold storage. Bry-Air desiccant dehumidifiers are the most reliable, time-tested, energy efficient system which provides increased safety and an overall healthy environment for cold stores.
The Benefits
- Reduced occupational injuries from slipping, falling, and pallet movements because of wet/ icy floors
- Reduction in dock evaporator defrosts
- Summer defrost schedule can be set back to winter schedules
- Independent temperature controls
- Attractive payback period
- Improved sanitation in warehouse through elimination of overhead condensation, snow and ice
Bry-Air also offers a patented Honeycomb filtration technology-based Ethylene Scrubber that helps to remove or maintain ethylene levels by the process of adsorption and chemisorption. Another featured product is the Treated Fresh Air (TFA) Unit that provides mechanical ventilation in cold storage to maintain proper CO2 level.
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