Zero Energy Cool Chamber Research Articles

The Combination of Sand and Zeolite in the ZECC (Zero Energy Cool Chamber) Cooling System for Horticultural Storage

Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) merupakan salah satu teknologi penanganan pascapanen yang ramah lingkungan dan murah, serta dapat digunakan untuk menyimpan buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran setelah dipanen. Suhu dan RH yang terbentuk pada sistem penyimpanan ZECC sangat dipengaruhi oleh bahan dinding yang digunakan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh kombinasi pasir dan zeolit (sebagai media evaporasi) terhadap suhu dan RH yang terbentuk pada sistem penyimpanan ZECC dan menentukan kombinasi pasir dan zeolit yang terbaik untuk penyimpanan sayuran segar. ZECC yang dibangun berukuran 100 (P) x 100 (L) x 50 (T) cm. Perlakuan bahan dinding ZECC yang dikaji adalah 100% pasir (Z1), 75% zeolit dan 25% pasir (Z2), 50% zeolit dan 50% pasir (Z3). Jenis komoditas yang digunakan untuk menguji kinerja ZECC adalah tomat dan selada. Parameter mutu yang diukur selama penyimpanan adalah kadar air, tekstur, warna, TPC dan organoleptik. Hasil penelitian didapatkan suhu yang terbentuk di dalam ZECC setelah diberi beban berupa tomat dan selada lebih rendah dan konstan dibandingkan dengan suhu luar sepanjang penyimpanan, demikian juga dengan RH di dalam lebih besar dibandingkan dengan RH luar. Rata-rata suhu didalam dan diluar ZECC masing-masing adalah 23.47°C dan 29.53°C, sedangkan Rata-rata RH ZECC didalam dan diluar masing-masing adalah 98.53% dan 69.04%. Suhu dan RH pada ketiga ZECC (Z1, Z2, Z3) tidak berbeda nyata secara statistik, namun perubahan mutu yang paling rendah baik untuk tomat maupun selada air adalah Z3 (50% pasir+50 zeolit). Hasil organoleptik menyatakan bahwa selada masih diterima panelis sampai hari ke 6 dan tomat hingga hari ke 14 penyimpanan.

STUDY OF INCOME GENERATION THROUGH VALUE ADDITION AND SAFE STORAGE OF MUSHROOM

In mushroom cultivation enterprise both male and female farmers were engaged in the same manner and even female growers were getting more success. It is easy growing technology, cultivation inside hut, less labour and attracted women farmers also. Farmers were getting high returns from mushroom cultivation but some constraints were reported in its marketing. Due to highly perishability in nature farmers have to sell it within 2-3 days. Male farmers equipped themselves to sell 90% of their product in fresh form and 2% of their produce was sun dried but a total loss of 8% was recorded especially in case of button mushroom as it became black after sun drying. The marketing of fresh mushroom was a major constraint for female farmers as they face problem in going outside for marketing. They were fully dependent on middle men and getting less returns compared to male counterpart. So, they were converting 20-30 % of mushrooms not sold in value added product as dried mushroom, nuggets and pickles. Value added products have long lasting quality so they have to spend more time to sell their product at better price. To extend the freshness time, storage of mushroom in Zero Energy Cool Chamber was also one of the best way, so farmers got extra one or two days to sell their produce and minimize the spoilage.

Postharvest treatments and maturity stages impact sensory attributes and shelf life of tomato fruits var. Pearson kept in Zero Energy Cool Chamber

The investigation has been carried out under ZECC conditions located at the research farm of agriculture faculty of Kabul University, Afghanistan. The objective was to understand the effect of postharvest treatments and harvesting stages on the shelf life and sensory quality of tomato fruits. It was found that both main factors had a significant effect and the highest shelf life noted for the fruits of H1(turning color stage) and D1 (dipped in 6 % CaCl2 solution) was 26.19 and 25.17 days, respectively. At the end of the storage period, the final evaluation average scores for overall sensory attributes of turning color fruits were higher whereas it was noted lower for light red color fruits compared with initial scores. The highest scores for all attributes such as color, flesh texture, flavor, and overall acceptance were noted for the fruits of H1 and D1 respectively. Thus, the turning color stage has seen as a suitable harvesting stage and then followed by pink color stage of the tomatoes of the Pearson variety that could be considered for various purposes after storage respectively. The 6 % CaCl2 solution could increase tomatoes shelf life and maintain the quality that it had retained the fruits sensory attributes to an acceptable level

Studies on Packaging and Storage of Green Capsicum (Cv. Indra) at Different Storage Conditions

The effect of different packaging materials along with two storage conditions i.e. Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) and Cold Storage (CS) were assessed for maintaining quality attributes and extending shelf life of green capsicum. The qualities of capsicums were assessed by physiological loss in weight, firmness, rotting, ascorbic acid and moisture content. The green capsicum fruits in all the treatments showed increasing trends of physiological loss in weight (%), TSS (°B) and rotting (%) while in moisture content, ascorbic acid (mg 100-1 g) and firmness (N) showed decreasing trend during the advancement of storage period in ZECC and CS. The quality of capsicum fruits of green varieties under CS and ZECC were found to be best when packed in cellulose acetate (CA) film followed by breathing bags. The shelf life of green capsicum fruits was extended up to 40 days in CS, 24 days in ZECC when packed in CA film followed by breathing bags and was found to be beneficial in extending the shelf life of capsicum fruits. The green capsicum packed in CA films was found to be best packaging material for extending the shelf life followed by breathing bags and without vent polythene bags of 100 micron, 50 micron and 25 micron, in CS and ZECC storage in respect of quality parameters.

Color and Organoleptic Changes of the Golek Mango Fruit (Mangifera indica L.) On Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) Storage Method with Packaging Combination

The increase in the amount of mango fruit production is due to their high nutritional content affordable, and relatively easy to find. However, like other horticultural crops, Mango can be easily bruised or damaged. The fruit damage can be caused by improper post-harvest handling, causing mango quality and has a short shelf life. The study aimed to determine the shelf life and quality of mango Golek stored in Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) using LDPE packaging and LDPE packaging with additional perforations. The first stage was observing the physical quality of the fruit and then post-harvest treatment such as washing, packaging and storing mangoes at ZECC temperature (±26°C). The second stage was the mango quality test after storage. Tests in the form of skin color and organoleptic. The results obtained in this study were mangoes packed with LDPE and LDPE with perforations. Mango packaged in LDPE packaging were able to retain L* color, b* color, organoleptic color, aroma, texture and taste. Mangoes packed with perforated LDPE packaging can retail, L * color, b * color, organoleptic color, aroma, texture and taste

Impact of Evaporative cooling technology and Post-harvest treatments on shelf life and quality of tomato of two different harvesting stages (Solanum lycopersicum var. Pearson)

The Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) is the needed evaporative cooling system introduced as one of the economical small scale on-farm storage in Afghanistan for enhancing the shelf life of tomato and other fresh crops. Tomato is one of the highest value crops, and due to excellent flavor, higher juice, and pulp content of tomato fruits of “Pearson” variety makes it further valuable. Hence, this study aims to understand the effect of ZECC and postharvest treatments on shelf life and quality of tomato’s fruits harvested at turning and light red colors’ stages. Fruits were treated with different concentrations of CaCl2 and mint leaf extract solutions and kept in both ZECC and ambient storages. The shelf life of tomato fruits extended up to 29 days under T4 (turning color fruits + 6% CaCl2 + ZECC). Under the same treatment, the highest firmness as 840.0 grcm-2   and the lowest PLW, Decay Losses and TSS were recorded as 1.80%, 0.0% and 4.400 brix, respectively; on the 20th day of the storage. The lowest shelf life under T11 (Light red color fruits + distilled water dip + Ambient condition) was about 8 days. As a result, the ZECC as an evaporative cooling system significantly enhanced the shelf life and maintained the quality of tomato fruits harvested at the turning color stage treated with 6% CaCl2.

Zero-Energy Cool Chamber in Anthracnose Disease Management of Postharvest Capsicum frutescens

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is one of important diseases causing postharvest losses on chili. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) in reducing the severity of anthracnose in Capsicum frutescens L. and extending the shelf life of chilies. The research was started by designing and building ZECC as a storage area for chilies. Chilies with and without fungal inoculation were stored in ZECC and storage chamber at room temperature. C. gloeosporioides experienced a growth inhibition of 40.48% after being stored in ZECC compared to its growth at room temperature. Storage of chilies in ZECC was able to reduce the severity of anthracnose by 56.2% on the 15th day, did not affect vitamin C content and total dissolved solids (TSS) and was able to reduce chilies weight loss during storage. Based on the organovisual test using the visual quality rating method and the Hedonic sensory test, consumers prefer chilies stored in the ZECC. The results showed that storage in ZECC could extend the shelf life of chilies. This storage model does not use electricity or is zero energy so it can be used by small scale farmers. This is the first report on the use of ZECC for the management of anthracnose in postharvest chilies in Indonesia.

The potential of the ZECC–washing combination to extending the mango’s shelf life

A combination of Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) and postharvest technology is applied to avoid quality loss and maintain the firmness mangoes. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the combination of ZECC and washing to remove fungus treats on mangoes. The washing applies the water and detergent + Ca(OH)2 (Calcium Hydroxide). The observed parameters are the visual appearance of fruit surface, color, sap, and dirt. The washing treatment of 1% detergent + 0.5% Ca(OH)2 demonstrated the best mango performance by visualizing smoother surface, less discoloration, and clean from sap and dirt. These results provide the potential of the ZECC–washing combination to extending the mango’s shelf life.

Effect of postharvest edible coatings on fruit quality of guava cv. Sufaid Gola under ambient and zero-energy cool Chamber storage conditions

Investigations were made to evaluate the effect of different edible and chemical coatings on quality and shelf life of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Sufaid Gola fruits stored under ambient (20 ± 3 °C) and zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) conditions (15 ± 3 °C). The fruits were subjected to different coating treatments, i.e., control (uncoated fruits, T0), fruits coated with 1% CaCl2 (T1), 2% CaCl2 (T2), 10% Aloe vera gel (T3) and 15% Aloe vera gel + 1.5% Ascorbic acid (T4). The studied quality attributes included weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), pH of fruit juice and fruit skin colour. As the storage period increased, weight loss, juice TSS and pH values significantly increased. Fruit skin colour also changed depending on the coating treatment, storage conditions and duration. Fruits stored at ZECC conditions had lower weight loss with lesser juice TSS and pH values and resulted in prolonged shelf life than ambient storage conditions. The fruits coated with 15% Aloe vera gel + 1.5% Ascorbic acid and 10% Aloe vera gel resulted in lower weight loss as compared to other treatments. Fruit coated with 15% Aloe vera gel + 1.5% Ascorbic acid and 2% CaCl2 had better shelf life with lower juice TSS and pH values as compared to other treatment combinations.

Effect of harvesting stages and postharvest treatments on shelf life and quality of tomato (Lycoper-sicon esculentum Mill. var. Pearson) stored under ZECC condition

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) is one of the important commercial high value crops of Afghanistan. Among the different local varieties grown in Afghanistan, the “Pearson” variety is most popular because of its good commercial value due to its uniform globe shape and medium to large size. The study is conducted to understand the effects of different harvesting stages and postharvest treatments on the shelf life and postharvest quality of tomatoes (Pearson variety) stored under the Pusa Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) at the research farm of Agriculture Faculty, Kabul University. This is the first time that ZECC is introduced in Afghanistan for enhancing fruit shelf life. The standard dimension ZECC was built with 165 x 115 x 67.6 cm dimensions. After harvesting tomatoes at different maturity stages (Turning, Pink, and Light red color stages), fruits were precooled, graded, and treated with different concentrations of CaCl2 and mint leaf extract solutions. Thereafter, the tomatoes were placed in plastic baskets and stored in the Zero Energy Cool Chamber. During storage period, Total Soluble Solids (TSS, 0brix), pH, firmness (gr cm-2), shelf life, pericarp thickness (mm), fruit volume (cc), and fruit density were recorded. Two factorial CRD design was considered with harvesting stages as the first factor and postharvest treatments as the second factor. The data revealed that the shelf life of tomatoes was extended up to 29 days under T2 (turning color fruits treated with 6% CaCl2) and followed by T8 (turning color fruits treated with 6% CaCl2 + 6% mint ...

The Quality of Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) Stored on ZECC (Zero Energy Cool Chamber)

Post-harvest handling fruits and vegetables in Indonesia has not received enough attention. This can be seen from the post-harvest damage of 25-28%. ZECC (Zero Energy Cool Chamber) is one of the eco-friendly and low-cost post-harvest technologies that can be used to store fruit and vegetables. The aim of the study was, to know the quality of tomatoes stored in ZECC, cold temperature, and ambient temperature. Secondly, to determine time length storage of tomatoes using ZECC. Data processing used a quantitative descriptive method with three replicates. The chemical analysis result of tomato stored in ZECC was vitamin C content 39.95 mg / 100g, pH level 4.15, total acid 0.40, total soluble solids 5.40Brix, weight loss 4.66 grams. The quality of tomatoes stored on ZECC is better than tomatoes stored in cold storage and ambient temperature. Tomatoes can be stored in ZECC for 20 days, cool temperature storage of 15 days, and storage of ambient temperature 10 days.

Quality and Storability of Mango During Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC)

Many researchhavefound thatthe use of zero energy coolchamber (ZECC) extend the shelf life of stored fruits and vegetables. There is a lack of study conducted in Indonesia about the use of ZECC to keep mangos after harvesting though. The present study, therefore, was aimed to understand the quality and storability of stored mangos in ZECC. Three different storage containers, a ZECC, ambient, and refrigerator with different average RH and temperature, were used to place selected ripe mangos (Mangifera indica L) that were manually harvested from farmers’ field nearby. The ZECC was set up at the residential complex for lecturer of Hasanuddin University as the experiment site. Results showed that mangos inside ZECC were acceptable until eleven days of storage after considering both quality and sensory evaluation. The result suggests that ZECC can maintain mango’s quality and extend its shelf life, which reveals that ZECC seems promisingfor commercial application

Studies on storage loss of Oyster mushroom during summer season

Oyster mushroom can be well stored for three days in Zero energy cool chamber (ZECC), due to differences in temperature and humidity inside the ZECC as compare to normal room condition. Experimental results revealed that oyster mushroom stored in that in ZECC has minimum physiological weight loss and spoilage loss (13 and 18.4 percent respectively) as compare to farmers practice, where it is totally spoiled in three days when stored in polythene bag and dried (29.5% weight loss).

Effect of Modified Atmospheric Packaging on Postharvest Storage Life of Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum L.) Stored Under Different Conditions

Cilantro is a leafy vegetable commonly used for seasoning purpose that is highly perishable and has high postharvest loss losing 1.03 ml water per gram per day. It is therefore an alternative method of storage is needed to extend storage life of Cilantro. So, the research was carried out to study the effect of Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) on postharvest storage life of Cilantro at different storage conditions. The experiment was laid under Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with ten treatments viz. open in tray along with 0, 5, 10 and 15 perforations (having pore size 5 mm) which are stored both in lab and Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) with three replications of each treatment during March/April (2018) at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) Lamjung Campus. Cilantro bought from market was packed in 250 gauge polyethylene bags, each bag was filled with 200 g Cilantro. Physiological loss in weight (PLW), Chlorophyll content, Colour change and Decay are the parameters that were evaluated. Results revealed that with the increase in number of perforation PLW was increased. Cilantro packed in MAP without perforation and stored in ZECC had minimum PLW (0.75%), no decay development as well as minimum loss of chlorophyll (11.18%) in comparison with Cilantro stored in lab at two days after storage. Decay percentage was however higher, greater than 50% at 6 days after storage in ZECC. Polyethylene bags without perforation were observed to be best packaging materials for extending storage life of Cilantro up to 4 days in ZECC followed by 2 days in lab.

Zero energy cool chamber, low cost storage structure for vegetables and fruits in Churachandpur District of Manipur

The keeping quality and longevity of fruits and vegetables requires high cost storage as well as high energy consuming technology. Our farmers cannot afford such technology due to the substantial financial involvement which makes the technique impracticable in rural areas. Massive quantity of fruits and vegetables are lost every year due to the lack of proper infrastructure for processing and post-harvest management. The zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) system of storage was introduced at Churachandpur district for storage of vegetable and fruits in order to reduce the problems of post-harvest losses at farmers’ level. ZECC is a cost-effective, eco friendly and less energy requiring technology for storage and also improves the quality and productivity of vegetables and fruits by reducing field heat, increasing shelf life and checking post-harvest losses respectively. In the study it was found that shelf life of vegetable and fruit crops like cabbage, broccoli tomato, pineapple, passion fruit and banana could be enhanced through ZECC and that physiological loss in weight (PLW) in ZECC was also comparatively less as compared to the room condition. Hence, there is a great scope for popularization of ZECC for preventing losses during post harvest of fruits and vegetables in Churachandpur district of Manipur.

Evaluation of temperature and relative humidity on two types of zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) is a cooling chamber for storing fruits and vegetables from the viewpoints of low cost and energy savings. The aim of the present study is to evaluate temperature and relative humidity (RH) on two types of zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The first category was placed underground while the second category was on the surface. Then, the performance of the ZECC was measured by calculating temperature and relative humidity. The results show that the ZECC was constructed on the surface produce lower temperature and higher RH compare to ZECC which placed underground. In average, the temperature in the outside (28.0°C) is greater than in inside (26.2°C) of the ZECC. On the other hand, the relative humidity in the outside (72.9%) is less than in inside (87.2%) of the ZECC. It was concluded that the ZECC where was constructed on the surface is more suitable than ZECC in the underground for decreasing temperature and increasing relative humidity.

Numerical simulation of temperature and relative humidity in zero energy cool chamber

Abstract: Temperature and relative humidity are important parameters that can affect the storage of food in a zero energy cool chamber (ZECC). The distributions of average temperature and relative humidity are influenced by factors such as chamber size, water temperature, load weight and filler thickness. In this research, thermal environment analysis using numerical simulation of biological respiration was conducted for tomatoes stored in a ZECC. The ZECC was composed of inner and outer brick walls, filler (a mixture of sand and zeolite), water between the walls and a shading curtain. The results obtained from the numerical model were compared by setting different values for each factor. The following conclusions are drawn after comparison and analysis of results: (1) the distributions of average temperature and relative humidity are strongly related to the thickness of the filler – a thicker filler causes a lower temperature; (2) the water temperature in the filler exerts little influence on the average temperature and relative humidity; and (3) the lowest temperature and the highest relative humidity can be achieved with a chamber size of 0.6 m and a load weight of 30 kg. In addition, to validate the results of the numerical model, the simulation results are compared with experimental data, which show good agreement. It is confirmed that numerical simulation can be satisfactorily applied to predict the distribution of environmental parameters such as temperature and relative humidity in a cool chamber. Keywords: zero energy cool chamber, numerical model, temperature, relative humidity DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe.20171003.3050 Citation: Liu Y H, Lyu E L, Rahman M M, Wang Y, Guo J M, Zhang J. Numerical simulation of temperature and relative humidity in zero energy cool chamber. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2017; 10(3): 185–193.

A new zero energy cool chamber with a solar-driven adsorption refrigerator

A new zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) consisting of two cooling systems, a solar-driven adsorption refrigerator and an evaporative cooling system, was developed and then evaluated as low-cost and eco-friendly cooling storage for storing fruit with moderate respiration rates. The solar-driven adsorption refrigerator, consisting of a solar collector containing activated carbon as an adsorbent, a condenser and an evaporator, cools water based by evaporating methanol and adsorbing it on activated carbon, and then makes ice. The methanol adsorbed on the activated carbon is desorbed by applying solar heat. The ice is then used to cool the storage space, which can be done for a long time without the need for electricity. The evaporative cooling system also cools the storage space by evaporating water from the wet walls containing wet filler. The combined use of two cooling systems reduced the average inside temperature of the new ZECC to 12.07 °C compared with an average outside temperature of 31.5 °C and extended the shelf life of tomatoes from 7 to 23 days. These results suggest that the new ZECC proposed here is low-cost and energy-saving and is useful for storing fruit and vegetables in areas where electricity is unavailable.

Dynamic optimization of inside temperature of Zero Energy Cool Chamber for storing fruits and vegetables using neural networks and genetic algorithms

A ‘Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC)’ has been developed for storing fruits and vegetables from the viewpoints of low cost and energy savings. Adding water to a filler between the outer and inner brick walls and shade curtains is effective way to reduce the inside temperature of a ZECC. The objective of this study was to minimize the inside temperature by controlling the watering using an intelligent optimization technique (IOT) combined with neural networks (NN) and genetic algorithms (GA). The objective function was given by the average value of the inside temperature for one day. For dynamic optimization, the control process (24h) was divided into 8 steps, and the optimal value (8-step ON–OFF intervals) of watering was obtained using NN and GA. In this method, dynamic changes in the inside temperature of the ZECC, as affected by the watering strategy, outside temperature and inside relative humidity conditions, were first identified using NN, and then the optimal value, which minimized the objective function, was determined through simulation of the identified NN model using GA. The average inside temperature for this optimal control was 4°C lower than that for the continuous watering for 24h, and was also 7.5°C lower than that for no watering. The ZECC with the optimal watering strategy extended the shelf-life of tomato from 7 to 16days. Thus, it was concluded that a ZECC optimized by using NN and GA is useful for storing tomato with no electric energy.

Optimization of Watering for Minimizing the Inside Temperature of Zero Energy Cool Chamber for Storing Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract A zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) has been developed for storing fruits and vegetables from the viewpoints of low installation and operating cost. The inside temperature of the ZECC is cooled by adding water to a sand and zeolite based filler between the brick walls based on the principles of a natural evaporative cooling mechanism. The objective of this study was to minimize the inside temperature of the ZECC by controlling watering operation using an intelligent optimization technique combined with neural network and genetic algorithm. The objective function was given by the average value of the inside temperature for one day. For optimization, the control process (24 hours) was divided into 8 steps, and the optimal value (8-step ON-OFF intervals) of watering was obtained using neural networks and genetic algorithms. In this method, dynamic changes in the inside temperature of the ZECC, as affected by the watering strategy and outside temperature, were first identified using neural network, and then the optimal value, which minimized the objective function, was determined through simulation of the identified neural-network model using genetic algorithm. The average inside temperature for this optimal ON-OFF control was 5°C lower than that for the simple ON-OFF watering for 24 hours, and was also 8°C lower than that for no watering. The ZECC with the optimal ON-OFF watering strategy extended the shelf-life of untreated tomato from 7 to 16 days. Thus, it was concluded that a ZECC optimized by using neural networks and genetic algorithms is useful for storing tomato with no electric energy.