Design, development and performance evaluation of low cost zero energy improved passive cool chamber for enhancing shelf-life of vegetables

Abstract

High ambient temperature accelerates the process of dehydration in fruits and vegetables, which lead to reduction in its water content, decrease in shelf-life and consequent spoilage in due course of time. To enhance shelf life of fruits and vegetables, conventional methods of air conditioning and refrigeration are costly and require electricity. To overcome this problem, a low cost, eco-friendly zero-energy improved passive cool chamber, based on evaporating cooling principle, was designed and developed at ICAR-CAZRI, Jodhpur. It consisted of a double walled chamber made of baked bricks with coarse sand filled annular space. The improved cool chamber was found to achieve maximum depression in temperature in one hour as compared to 2-3 hours required by the old chamber. The performance evaluation of the improved cool chamber was carried out and temperature reduction of 12-14°C during summer and 6-8°C during winter was observed with RH varying from 80-95%. The vegetables were safely stored for 7 days in winter and 4-5 days during summer without any spoilage. The improved cool chamber with easy maintenance shall be a boon to reduce the spoilage of fruit and vegetables specifically in remote villages of Indian Thar desert where proper storage facilities are lacking. The improved cool chamber also saves huge amount of electricity that is otherwise used to preserve fruits and vegetables.