BRRRR! Is it Cold in Here?
Here's a fun game, what's the connection here… Frozen food, pharmaceuticals, petro-chemicals and high-tech electronics. (That's an interesting collection of products). If you haven't guessed – they all use Cold Storage.
Cold Storage is largely the same as any other storage facility… with two very large exceptions. The air temperature inside the space is crucial to the overall storage system and the products they are meant to preserve. All those products mentioned above expire quickly when stored outside their temperature range. And if the products expire… let's not go there.
The other difference (I mentioned two)? Energy consumption. And it's not cheap! Typically energy expenses are second only to labor at most facilities like these.
So, you have a big space with high ceilings where a perfectly consistent temperature somewhere between pretty cold and well below freezing is integral yet expensive to achieve. (wait… that sounds like warm storage November through March here in Canada!) Anyway, Altra-Air Fans can solve the ever-present temperature inconsistency problems commonly found in this type of environment. But will they work in the cold? They sure do!
It doesn't matter what the temperature is inside a space, hot air naturally rises (known as stratification)
Let's design an example, the temperature set point in a frozen food storage facility is kept at -2ᴼC (28ᴼF). The thermostat measures the temperatures and directs the chilling equipment to provide additional cooling when necessary. However, we know that is not an accurate representation of the ceiling temperature… or the floor temperature… or even the temperature down the aisle around the corner from the thermostat.
No cooling, or heating system for that matter, can provide 100% consistent floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall air temperature. The key to providing this is circulation. And the most effective way to circulate air inside a large space – Altra-Air HVLS Fans. What's great is the secondary benefit of massive air circulation, reduced condensation, another huge issue in spaces like these.
"No cooling, or heating system for that matter, can provide 100% consistent floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall air temperature. The key to providing this is circulation. "
We've completed numerous cold storage applications over the last decade or so. The consistent request… Product stored on lower racks need to be the same temperature as product stored on higher racks. This isn't an unreasonable request – just one that needs careful thought and consideration. The right placement for your fan will be essential to the outcome. Millions are spent annually to update and improve systems to save on product loss and energy costs. Why not consider a departure from the norm and look at alternative methods to achieve the same at a much lower initial cost by incorporating Altra-Air into your solution?
Envira-North Systems is a knowledge and experience based company that specializes in the solutions. All of our products are components within a system specifically designed to provide a custom solution while maximizing savings that increase return on investment.
To learn more about the air movement in cold storage facilities contact me directly via email deanwood@enviranorth.com.