Last Updated on July 25, 2024 by Corsiva Lab
What is a cold room? To put it literally, any room designed to have a lower temperature than room temperature is a cold room. A cold room is an insulated enclosure and designed to maintain its lower temperature for preservation or research purposes. Without the existence of cold rooms, distribution and life span of food, pharmaceutical and even industrial products, would be severely impaired.
Today, we will provide useful insights to cold room insulation panels and cold room cooling system component individually.
Insulation Panels
Insulation panels are an essential component of cold rooms, which are temperature-controlled spaces used to store and preserve food, pharmaceuticals, and other perishable items. Cold rooms require insulation to maintain a consistent temperature and prevent the loss of energy.
Insulation panels used in cold rooms are typically made from materials such as expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyurethane (PU), or polyisocyanurate (PIR). These materials provide excellent insulation properties, are lightweight, and are easy to install. In Singapore, due to regulatory reasons, most model cold rooms are built using PIR insulation panel.
The R-value is a measure of the insulation’s thermal resistance and determines how well the insulation can resist heat transfer. Higher R-values provide better insulation, which results in lower energy costs and better temperature control. The thickness of the insulation panels also affects the R-value, with thicker panels providing better insulation.
Proper installation of the insulation panels is critical in ensuring the coldroom’s optimal performance. The panels must be installed without any gaps or spaces that could allow heat to penetrate the insulation. The joints between the panels must be sealed with an appropriate adhesive to prevent any air leakage. The insulation panels must also be installed on a level surface to ensure that they fit tightly and provide complete coverage.
In summary, insulation panels are an integral part of coldrooms, providing thermal resistance to maintain a consistent temperature and prevent energy loss. Proper selection and installation of the insulation panels are critical to the coldroom performance, energy efficiency, and overall effectiveness in preserving perishable items.
Cold Room Cooling System Key Component 1 🡺 The Compressor
The compressor is arguably the most important component of the cooling system. It is the only moving part pushing the refrigerant gas within the copper pipe works circuiting the other key component.
There are several types of refrigeration compressors, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
Some of the common compressors includes
- Reciprocating Compressors
- Scrolls Compressors
- Rotary Compressors
- Screw Compressors
- Centrifugal Compressors
Specifically for cold room applications, the commonly used compressors are reciprocating, scrolls and screws compressors. The type of compressor selected depends on factors such as the size of the coldroom, the temperature requirements, and the intended application.
- Reciprocating Compressors: These compressors are the most common type used in coldrooms. They use a piston to compress the refrigerant gas and are available in both hermetic and semi-hermetic configurations.
Hermetic reciprocating compressors are fully sealed and cannot be serviced or repaired in the field. They consist of a motor, a compressor, and a crankcase that are all enclosed in a single hermetically sealed housing.
Semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors, on the other hand, are designed to be serviced and repaired in the field. They are partially sealed and can be opened to access the internal components for maintenance or repair. The motor, compressor, and crankcase are contained within a single housing that can be opened for service or replacement.
Hermetic compressors are often used in smaller systems where the cost of replacement is relatively low, while semi-hermetic compressors are more common in larger systems.
Bock compressors carried by Roller Asia are all examples of reciprocating compressors.
- Screw Compressors: Screw compressors are used in larger coldrooms and commercial refrigeration applications. They use two interlocking helical screws to compress the refrigerant gas, providing a continuous flow of refrigerant. Screw compressors are efficient and can handle large capacities, making them suitable for industrial coldrooms.
- Scroll Compressors: Scroll compressors are commonly used in small to medium-sized coldrooms. They use two interlocking scrolls to compress the refrigerant gas and provide a steady flow of refrigerant. Scroll compressors are quiet, energy-efficient, and require little maintenance.
In conclusion, the type of compressor used in a coldroom depends on several factors, including the size of the coldroom, the intended application, and the temperature requirements. Choosing the right type of compressor is critical to ensuring the coldroom’s optimal performance, energy efficiency, and overall effectiveness in preserving perishable items.
Cold room Cooling System component 2 🡺 The Evaporator / Cooler
Evaporators within a cold room cooling system are designed to cool the coldroom They are responsible for removing heat from the refrigerant and transferring the heat out of the cold room.
The evaporator works by circulating the refrigerant through a network of tubes or coils, which are designed to increase the surface area of the refrigerant exposed to the air or other cooling medium. As the refrigerant flows through the tubes or coils, it absorbs heat from the space, causing it to evaporate into a gas.
The cold room evaporator operates on the principle of forced convection, where the refrigerant is circulated through the tubes or coils by a fan or blower. The fan or blower creates a high-velocity airflow over the surface of the tubes or coils, which helps to move the coolness from the refrigerant to the cold room enclosurey.
For cold rooms with temperature lower than 0 Deg C, evaporators can become frosted from condensation of the humid inside the room, which can reduce their efficiency and cause problems such as ice build-up, decreased airflow, and increased energy consumption.
To prevent these issues, cold room evaporators require heaters to remove frost build up.
Finned tube evaporators are the most common type of evaporator used in commercial and industrial refrigeration systems. They consist of a network of tubes with thin fins attached to the outside of the tubes, which increase the surface area for heat transfer.
Cold room Cooling System component 3 🡺 The Condenser
A cold room condenser primary function is to remove heat from the refrigerant gas that has been compressed by the compressor, thereby converting it back into a liquid state. The condenser transfers this heat to the surrounding environment, ensuring the cold room or freezer remains at the desired temperature.
You can feel the condenser when you feel the hot air coming out from the air con split unit installed outside your house!
The following are different types of condensers
- Air-Cooled Condensers: Air-cooled condensers work by using a fan to blow air over the condenser coils, removing heat from the refrigerant gas and transferring it to the surrounding air. They are the most common type of cold room condenser because they are relatively easy to install and maintain, and require no additional water source.
- Water-Cooled Condensers: Water-cooled condensers use a water source to remove heat from the refrigerant gas. They require a constant water supply and typically involve more installation and maintenance than air-cooled condensers. However, they are more efficient in high-temperature environments and can be used in applications where air-cooled condensers are not suitable.
- Evaporative Condensers: Evaporative condensers are similar to water-cooled condensers but use the evaporation of water to remove heat from the refrigerant gas. They are highly efficient in high-temperature environments and are often used in industrial applications.
Where possible, usage of water cooled condensers or evaporative condensers are recommended. The initial build up cost would be higher but ones’ electrical bills will be significantly lower!
Never Late to Learn How to Cool down
If you want to know more about cold rooms, cooling systems, compressors, condensing units, evaporators and condensers, check out Roller Asia. We specialize in all things regarding compressors and cold rooms. Feel free to consult us for more information.
