How to manage the gas conditioning storage for fruits and vegetables

A fruit and vegetable controlled atmosphere warehouse, as the name suggests, is a controlled atmosphere warehouse used to store and preserve fruits and vegetables. The freshness period of fruits and vegetables can be greatly extended through the fruit and vegetable controlled atmosphere storage, but it requires correct management and use of the fruit and vegetable controlled atmosphere storage to better play its role. When using the fruit and vegetable controlled atmosphere storage, we must pay attention to the rational and effective use of space, fast entry and exit, and good air circulation.

1. Reasonable and effective use of space

Generally speaking, gas conditioning equipment mainly includes nitrogen production equipment, carbon dioxide removal equipment, ethylene removal equipment and humidification equipment. Among them, nitrogen production equipment has the highest utilization rate, so it is more important.

The volume utilization coefficient of the controlled atmosphere storage is higher than that of the ordinary cold storage. Some people describe it as "high full stack", which is a feature of the architectural design and operation management of the controlled atmosphere storage. The so-called "high full stack" means that the fruits and vegetables loaded into the controlled atmosphere storage should have a larger loading density. In addition to leaving necessary ventilation and inspection channels, the free space in the controlled atmosphere storage should be minimized. Because the smaller the free space in the controlled atmosphere storage, the less gas storage in the storage. On the one hand, this can appropriately reduce the size of the controlled atmosphere equipment, and on the other hand, it can speed up the controlled atmosphere speed, shorten the controlled atmosphere time, reduce energy consumption, and allow fruits and vegetables to enter the controlled atmosphere storage state as soon as possible.

2. Fast forward and out

Controlled atmosphere storage requires that fruits and vegetables be put into storage quickly, filled and sealed as quickly as possible, and the atmosphere adjusted in time, so that the fruits and vegetables can enter the controlled atmosphere state in the shortest possible time. In normal management, goods cannot be brought in and out as arbitrarily as in ordinary cold storage, otherwise the gas composition in the warehouse will change frequently, thereby weakening or losing the effect of controlled atmosphere storage. When shipping fruits and vegetables out of the warehouse, it is best to ship them out all at once or in batches within a short period of time.

3. Good air circulation

During the cooling process of the controlled atmosphere warehouse, the circulation rate range recommended by the UK is: in the initial stage of fruit and vegetable storage, the number of air exchanges per hour is 30 to 50 times the empty warehouse volume, so a two-speed fan or multiple axial flow fans that can be independently controlled are often used. During the cooling stage, the air volume is larger and the cooling speed is faster. When the temperature drops to half of the initial value or less, the air exchange frequency can be controlled at 15 to 20 times per hour.