Significance of Temperature and Humidity Control for Agricultural Products Storage: Overview of Conventional and Advanced Options

Author(s):  
Muhammad Hamid Mahmood ◽  
Muhammad Sultan ◽  
Takahiko Miyazaki

AbstractThe agricultural products are perishable in nature and possesses short shelf/storage life under ambient conditions. The temperature and humidity control systems are required to enhance to storage life of the products with optimum quality, quantity and nutritive attributes. In this regard, the significance of air-conditioning in storage application is highlighted along with the conventional storage options. The implications of compressor-based refrigeration and air-conditioning systems regarding low-cost and energy efficient air-conditioning systems are discussed in detailed. It is concluded that thermally driven air-conditioning systems can be used on top priority for the short-term storage of fresh agricultural products. Moreover, the long-term storage of products at freezing temperature can be made through hybrid systems instead of standalone conventional compressor based vapor compression refrigeration and/or air-conditioning systems. Finally, the air-conditioning systems are proposed for the optimum storage of different categorize of the food products.

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Elhage Ramis ◽  
Emmanuel Antonio dos Santos

To evaluate airports' current thermal comfort temperature and humidity were registered in three main Brazilian international airports, other variables were local region climate characteristics and the constructive types of passenger terminal buildings. The Brazilian air transportation demand has considerably grown over the last decade, with some airports reaching their capacity. Thermal discomfort may be a key driver of passenger perceptions of airport service levels, specially under capacity overload situations. Therefore, to achieve airport thermal comfort within this new scenario, and with the imminent and future expansions of the airport system, certainly put extra work on the existing air conditioning systems, consequently increasing energy consumption and its associated costs. Collected temperature and humidity from each study case subsided the data for the psychrometric charts. The evidences showed temperatures below the international standards requirements for thermal comfort levels. These charts also indicated that adequate building types with natural air circulation, provides the best levels of thermal comfort. Results suggest the importance of considering the implementation of a combined system using artificial and natural air conditioning in the planning of future expansions.


Author(s):  
Ramon Farré ◽  
Miguel A. Rodríguez-Lázaro ◽  
Anh Tuan Dinh-Xuan ◽  
Martí Pons-Odena ◽  
Daniel Navajas ◽  
...  

High ambient temperature and humidity greatly increase the risk of hyperthermia and mortality, particularly in infants, who are especially prone to dehydration. World areas at high risk of heat stress include many of the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where most of their inhabitants have no access to air conditioning. This study aimed to design, evaluate, and test a novel low-cost and easy-to-assemble device aimed at preventing the risk of infant hyperthermia in LMICs. The device is based on optimizing negative heat transfer from a small amount of ice and transferring it directly to the infant by airflow of refrigerated air. As a proof of concept, a device was assembled mainly using recycled materials, and its performance was assessed under laboratory-controlled conditions in a climatic chamber mimicking realistic stress conditions of high temperature and humidity. The device, which can be assembled by any layperson using easily available materials, provided sufficient refrigerating capacity for several hours from just 1–2 kg of ice obtained from a domestic freezer. Thus, application of this novel device may serve to attenuate the adverse effects of heat stress in infants, particularly in the context of the evolving climatic change trends.


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