DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN ENERGY BASED VEGETABLES TRANSIT STORAGE UNIT
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Date
2017
Authors
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DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING ICAR-INDIAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE NEW DELHI
Abstract
India is the second largest producer of vegetables. However, vegetables are critical for
storage, due to their highly perishable nature, lack of cold storage and transportation
facilities. Solar power operated evaporative cooled structures are low cost and efficient
in reducing ambient temperature and increasing relative humidity, which increases the
self-life of vegetables. Vegetables get shrivel, whither rapidly, especially under hot
conditions, if not preserved just after harvest. Vegetables grower’s small farmers and
venders need a low cost, efficient transit storage facilities, which will provide them a
basic cold storage structure to store their product just after harvest and to carry their
material from farm to market in an acceptable form that will help them to compel over
distress sale and enhance return. Effect of abiotic parameters on vegetable storability
was studied and statistical analysed results revealed that there was significant difference
(P=0.05) in storage parameters occur, when vegetables stored at different temperature
and relative humidity. A green energy based evaporative cooled transit storage unit of
0.63m3 capacity was designed and fabricated. Transit unit is three wheel cycle operated.
Two suction fan (15.6W), submersible water pump (12W) and LED light (2.88Wp)
were powered through two solar panels of (100Wp). Two batteries of 7Ah also used to
store energy. The storage unit was made up of MS sheets of 1.2mm thick while a side
of the system was made up of GI wiremesh with honey comb pad. To test the
performance of developed unit tomato, spinach and radish were used. Results of
analysis of variance revealed that there was a significant difference (P=0.05) in PLW,
firmness, TSS, and color values of the vegetables when stored inside unit compared to
vegetables stored in ambient condition. The ambient temperature during the study was
32.2-43.4°C and RH was 21.1-46%. The drop in temperature was 7.8 to 14.8°C as
compared to ambient condition, while RH in the cooling chamber increased
considerably to 84%. The average cooling efficiency was 84.12%. The shelf life of
stored vegetables inside unit was 2-5 days more than those kept at ambient condition.
The cost of the developed transit storage unit was approximately Rs.25000.
Keywords: Evaporative cooling, Transit storage unit, Temperature, Relative Humidity,
Vegetables quality parameters
Description
t-9753
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