Development of Low Cost Plastic Evaporative Cooling Storage Structure

A 200 kg storage capacity evaporative cooling storage structure was developed with plastic material and cooling media as coconut husk chips ensuring water flows with the influence of gravity with dripper arrangement. The structure operates on the principle of evaporative cooling. In the evaporative cooling structure temperature drop was measured 11 degrees C at noon time without loading product and 12 degrees C at noon time after keeping tomato in structure. The average relative humidity inside the evaporative cooling storage structure was 91.90 % during tomato storage and the inside temperature was found about 24 to 27 degrees C. The average cooling efficiency was found to be 95.83 %. In evaporative cooling storage, the 50 % firmness was retained for 18 days of tomato storage. The TSS content was found about an average of 5.47 degrees Brix. The total cost of the Evaporative cooling storage structure was estimated to be about Rs. 5800. Ratio of cost for ambient storage to Evaporative cooling storage structure 5.71: 1