Design and Research of a New Cold Storage: The Phase-Temperature Storage (PTS) to Reduce Evaporator Frosting
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Materials
2.1.1. Experimental Materials
2.1.2. Experimental Instruments and Equipment
2.2. Methods
2.2.1. Determination of the Sub-Storehouse Material for Phase-Temperature Storage
2.2.2. Simulation of the Temperature Field Within the Phase Temperature Storage and Optimization of the Sub-Storehouse Structure
2.3. Mathematical Model
- 1.
- Standard model
- 2.
- Mass Conservation Equation
- 3.
- Momentum Conservation Equations
- 4.
- Energy Conservation Equation
2.3.1. Boundary Conditions
2.3.2. Defrosting Experiment Design
Determination of Defrosting Energy Consumption
Determination of Defrosting Heat Recovery
2.3.3. Simulation Analysis of Goods Stored in Sub-Storehouse
2.3.4. Design of the Freshness Preservation Experiment
Measurement of Apple Respiration Intensity
Measurement of Apple Weight Loss Rate
Measurement of Apple Hardness
Measurement of Soluble Solid Content (TSS) in Apples
Experimental Data Processing
3. Results
3.1. Determination of Sub-Storehouse Body for Phase-Temperature Storage
- (a)
- Selection of Sub-storehouse Body Materials
- (b)
- Determination of Sub-storehouse Wall Thickness
- (c)
- Determination of sub-storehouse Heat Transfer Area
- (d)
- Effect of Convection Velocity
3.2. Simulation of Temperature Field in Phase Temperature Storage and Optimization of Sub-Storehouse Structure
3.2.1. Analysis of Flow Field and Temperature Field Simulation Results
3.2.2. Optimization of the Sub-Storehouse Structure in Phase Temperature Storage
3.3. Analysis of Defrosting Experiment Results
3.3.1. Comparison of Defrosting Energy Consumption
3.3.2. Study of Defrosting Waste Heat
3.4. Results of Simulation Analysis of Goods Stored in Sub-Storehouse
3.5. Comparison of Preservation Effects Between Phase-Temperature Storage and Conventional Cold Storage
3.5.1. Impact of Different Storage Environments on Apple Respiration Rate
3.5.2. Impact of Different Storage Environments on Apple Weight Loss Rate
3.5.3. Impact of Different Storage Environments on Apple Firmness
3.5.4. Impact of Different Storage Environments on Apple Total Soluble Solids (TSS) Content
4. Conclusions
- Experimental results demonstrated that the thermal conductivity of the sub-storehouse material exhibits a strong correlation with the storage area and airflow velocity. Conversely, the thickness and type of material were found to exert a relatively minor influence on thermal performance;
- The top jacket layer of the sub-storehouse was equipped with an innovative guided flow channel. Additionally, the storage door geometry was modified from an angular to a curved configuration, a marked improvement in airflow distribution uniformity within the jacket layer. Vortex formation at the door was significantly mitigated, and the internal temperature of the sub-storehouse decreased by 0.14 °C. These results provide compelling evidence of enhanced heat transfer performance in the optimized PTS structure;
- Under the same external conditions, an energy savings of over 96% for the PTS compared to conventional cold storage. Besides this, the PTS, owing to its unique structural design, achieved a reduction in overall energy consumption of approximately 70.5 kwh when considering both defrosting system operation and heat recovery;
- Software is used to simulate the heat transfer of the walls and goods by convection as the intensity of the internal heat source increases and the cargo temperature rises, resulting in greater temperature non-uniformity and enhanced flow velocities. Despite these variations, the overall flow velocity remains relatively low, and the temperature distribution remains largely uniform, thereby maintaining optimal storage conditions for goods;
- Apples stored in the PTS exhibit superior quality characteristics compared to those in conventional cold storage. Specifically, PTS-stored apples demonstrated higher firmness and TSS content, coupled with lower weight loss rates and respiration intensity.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Name | Apple | Cucumber | Kiwi Fruit | Orange | Banana | Onion | Eggplant |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Freezing Point (°C) | ~3–3.8 | ~2.5–2.7 | ~3.3–3.7 | ~1.5–1.6 | 2~.2–2.7 | ~1.8–2.0 | ~2.2–2.8 |
Cold Storage Operation Time (h) | Defrosting Unit Energy Consumption (kWh) | Melting Water Volume (kg) | Melting Heat Absorption Q (kJ) | Melting Heat Absorption Energy Consumption (kWh) | Defrosting Waste Heat (kWh) | Defrosting Energy Consumption Utilization Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
12 | 2.448 | 1.426 | 530.743 | 0.149 | 2.302 | 6.09% |
24 | 5.264 | 2.907 | 1081.986 | 0.299 | 4.964 | 5.68% |
36 | 7.956 | 4.419 | 1644.618 | 0.457 | 7.499 | 5.74% |
48 | 10.649 | 5.876 | 2186.750 | 0.608 | 10.041 | 5.71% |
60 | 13.219 | 7.399 | 2753.937 | 0.765 | 12.455 | 5.79% |
72 | 15.425 | 8.899 | 3312.014 | 0.921 | 14.503 | 5.97% |
84 | 17.871 | 10.349 | 3851.869 | 1.071 | 16.800 | 5.99% |
96 | 20.319 | 11.812 | 4396.278 | 1.222 | 19.097 | 6.01% |
108 | 22.277 | 13.232 | 4924.742 | 1.369 | 20.908 | 6.15% |
120 | 24.603 | 14.701 | 5471.429 | 1.520 | 23.083 | 6.18% |
132 | 28.275 | 16.304 | 6068.229 | 1.686 | 26.590 | 5.96% |
144 | 30.968 | 17.608 | 6553.415 | 1.820 | 29.148 | 5.88% |
156 | 34.028 | 19.003 | 7072.768 | 1.965 | 32.063 | 5.77% |
168 | 36.359 | 20.588 | 7662.737 | 2.128 | 34.231 | 5.85% |
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Duan, L.; Zheng, Y.; Jiang, Y.; Li, W.; Li, L.; Liu, B.; Li, B.; Li, X. Design and Research of a New Cold Storage: The Phase-Temperature Storage (PTS) to Reduce Evaporator Frosting. Foods 2025, 14, 1592. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091592
Duan L, Zheng Y, Jiang Y, Li W, Li L, Liu B, Li B, Li X. Design and Research of a New Cold Storage: The Phase-Temperature Storage (PTS) to Reduce Evaporator Frosting. Foods. 2025; 14(9):1592. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091592
Chicago/Turabian StyleDuan, Lihua, Yanli Zheng, Yunbin Jiang, Wenhan Li, Limei Li, Bin Liu, Bin Li, and Xihong Li. 2025. "Design and Research of a New Cold Storage: The Phase-Temperature Storage (PTS) to Reduce Evaporator Frosting" Foods 14, no. 9: 1592. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091592
APA StyleDuan, L., Zheng, Y., Jiang, Y., Li, W., Li, L., Liu, B., Li, B., & Li, X. (2025). Design and Research of a New Cold Storage: The Phase-Temperature Storage (PTS) to Reduce Evaporator Frosting. Foods, 14(9), 1592. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091592