Design and Adaptation of a Commercial Cold Storage Room for Umudike Community and Environs

Abstract

A cold storage room for Umudike has been designed to provide a better storage facility for perishable food stuff in the community and to promote the living standard of the people. It is an adaptive design aimed at designing the cold room to suit the prevailing factors of Umudike community with reference to some design calculations. This is timely, and a first of its kind within the locality. The design complies with all standard refrigeration principles and theory to best suit the prevalent climatic condition in Umudike. This design is hypothetically intended to serve as a guide for future fabrication and erection. The cold room has an estimated total refrigeration capacity of 0.82TR (about 4Hp), and a maximum COP of 6.09. Its operating ambient temperature is 36 o C with a rated evaporator capacity of 1.85Hp and a rated condenser capacity of 2.15Hp, respectively. In practice, the cold room will operate for 24hours daily and will provide storage for agricultural produce and dairy products. The cold room is expected to serve and provide the demand of the people of Umudike and her environs for a period of ten years before a complete overhaul. The unit cost of the facility is put at eight hundred and twenty two thousand, five hundred and fourteen naira, and fifty-five (N822, 514.55) kobo only. The cold room if erected as designed inevitably will enhance the living standard of the community by providing them the access to fresh foods and dairy products. It will also improve the local economy of the community by increasing the gross domestic product through better preservation, and tremendously reduce the frequency of them going to the farm for harvest. Keywords:-Commercially adaptive design, Cold storage room, Umudike community and environs, First of its kind, Prevailing climatic condition and factors, Enhancing living standard and local economy of the community List of Conversion Factors Used 1 Btu = 1.055KJ 1 lb = 0.4535924Kg 1 o F temperature change = 5/9 o C temperature change 1 o C temperature change = 9/5 o F temperature change 1 o C temperature change = 1K temperature change Specific heat capacity: 1Btu/lb o F = 4.187KJ/KgK or KJ/Kg o C 1ft = 0.3048m 1 ft 2 = 0.09290304m 2 1ft 3 = 0.028316846m 3 Heat removed in cooling air to storage room conditions: 1Btu/ft 3 = 37.267KJ/m 3 Temperature unit conversions: X o C = 5/9 (Y o F-32) Y o F = (9/5 x X o C) + 32 ZK = X o C + 273 X o C = ZK-273 where: X = Temperature in Celsius, Y = Temperature in degree Fahrenheit, and Z = Temperature in Kelvin. Respiration heat load: 1Btu/16 per day = 2.326KJ/kg per day Heat released per occupant: 1Btu/hr = 1.055KJ/hr Connected load in refrigerated space: 1Btu/HP hr = 1.415KJ/KWhr Motor Horsepower: 1Hp = 0.7457KW Insulation thickness: 1in = 2.54cm = 0.0254m Heat gain factors: 1Btu/Ft 2 24hr = 11.356KJ/m 2 day Latent heat: 1Btu/lb = 2.326KJ/kg 14.7lb/m 2 (14.7Psia) = 101.3Kpa (101.3N/m 2) 1 ft 3 /lb = 0.0624m 3 /Kg