Improving airflow with numerical methods in cold storage

In Turkey, the loss rate in post-harvest products reaches 30%. Some of these losses occur during storage in cold stores. Since the volume occupancy rate is high in cold stores, partial damage and losses occur in foods when a homogeneous temperature and velocity distribution cannot be achieved in the environment. The methods applied for a homogeneous air distribution are generally not applied because of the high initial investment cost. In this study, temperature and velocity distributions were obtained by making measurements at critical points in terms of flow characteristics in a cold storage full of granny smith apples. Then, a three-dimensional model of the cold storage in question was created in the Ansys Fluent program and the accuracy of the model was confirmed by real condition measurements. With the analyzes made on the model, air and temperature distribution problems were determined and an air deflection panel was placed to eliminate these problems. Finally, different panel angles were analyzed and it was determined that the panel angle, which would make the air and temperature distribution in the cold storage most homogeneous, was 63°. The proposed solution method can be applied to all cold storages that blow directly into the storage, regardless of size, stored product and location. In this way, it is possible to reduce product damage in existing cold storages in a practical, easily applicable and economical way.