Cold Room – Cooling Load Calculation

What is a cold room?

A room in which a low temperature is maintained – the cold room will have an environment
whose temperature is below the outside temperature.

A cold room is used to store perishable goods such as meat and vegetables to slow down their
deterioration and preserve them as fresh as possible for as long as possible. Heat accelerates their
deterioration so the products are cooled down by removing the heat.

To remove the heat a refrigeration system is used as it allows accurate and automatic control of
the temperature to preserve the goods for as long as possible.

To remove the heat we need to know what the cooling load (amount of heat to be removed) will
be. The cooling load varies throughout the day so in most cases the average cooling load is
calculated and the refrigeration capacity is calculated to suit this.

The optimal storage temperature must be continuously maintained to obtain the full benefit of cold
storage. To make sure the storage room can be kept at the desired temperature, calculate the
required refrigeration capacity using the most severe conditions expected during operation. These
conditions include the mean maximum outside temperature, the maximum amount of produce
cooled each day, and the maximum temperature of the produce to be cooled. The total amount of
heat that the refrigeration system must remove from the cooling room is called the heat load or
cooling load.

Cold Room Heat Sources

Where does all the heat we need to remove come from?

 Heat Conduction - heat entering through the insulated walls, ceiling, and floor;
 Field Heat - heat extracted from the produce as it cools to the storage temperature;
 Heat of Respiration - heat generated by the produce as a natural by-product of its
respiration;
 Service Load - heat from lights, equipment, people, and warm, moist air entering
through cracks or through the door when opened.

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 i Transmission load - conduction

Heat Conduction. Heat is conducted into the cooling room through the walls, ceiling, and floor.
The amount of heat flowing through these surfaces is a function of their thermal resistance (R-
value), their area, and the temperature difference between one side and the other.

Typically 5-15% is through transmission loads. This is the thermal energy transferred through the
roof, walls and floor into the cold room. Heat always flows from hot to cold and the interior of the
cold room is obviously a lot colder than its surroundings, so heat is always trying to enter the space
because of that difference in temperature. If the cold store is exposed to direct sunlight then the
heat transfer will be higher so an additional correction will need to be applied to allow for this.

ii Product Load
Field Heat. The second source of heat is the warm produce brought into the cooling facility. The
heat energy it contains is called field heat. The amount of field heat is usually calculated from the
mean maximum monthly temperature.

Field heat, FH, is the product of the specific heat, SH, of the crop (the amount of heat energy it
holds per degree), the difference, DT, between the field temperature and the storage temperature,
and the weight, W, of the produce.

The specific heat of water is used, since fruits and vegetables are mostly water, their individual
specific heat is directly related to their water content.

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Heat of Respiration. This source of heat is the respiration of the crop itself. Horticultural crops
are alive and give off heat as they respire. The amount of heat produced depends on the
temperature, the crop, and the conditions and treatment the crop has received.

Then there is Product loads which account for typically 55-75% of the cooling load. This accounts
for the heat that is introduced into the cold room when new products enter.

It’s also the energy required to cool, freeze and further cool after freezing. If it’s just cooling the
products then only the sensible heat load need to be considered. If there is freezing of the product
then the latent heat as a phase change occurs is also accounted for. During phase change energy is
used but you will not see a temperature change while the product changes between a state of liquid
and ice. There is additional energy required to further chill this food down below the freezing point
which is again sensible heat. You also need to account for the packaging as this will inherently be
cooled also. Lastly if you’re cooling fruit and vegetables then these products are alive and they
will generate some heat so you’ll need to account for the removal of this too.

iii Internal Loads – service load

Service Load. This source of heat comprises of a number of miscellaneous items and is called the
service load. It includes heat given off by equipment such as lights and fans and by people working

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in the storage room, heat brought into the storage area by warm air when the door is opened, and
heat that enters by air infiltration past faulty door gaskets and through other cracks. The amount
of heat contributed by these sources is usually very difficult to determine accurately. For simplified
analysis, service load can be dealt with collectively and estimated to equal 10 percent of the heat
from the other three sources; conductance, field heat, and heat of respiration.

The next thing to consider is the internal loads which account for around 10-20%. This is the heat
given off by people working in the cold room, the lighting and equipment such as fork lifts
trucks etc. This requires estimation of how much heat the staff members and the equipment give
off and the daily duration.

iv Refrigeration Equipment cooling load

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The refrigeration equipment in the room will account for around 1-10% of the total cooling load.
For this we want to know the rating of the fan motors and estimate how long they will run for each
day, then we want to also account for any heat transferred into the space from defrosting the
evaporator.

v Infiltration heat load

Infiltration is entry of air into the cold room. Infiltration adds about 1-10% to the cooling load.
This occurs when the door opens so there is a transfer of heat into the space through the air. The
other consideration is ventilation. Fruit and vegetables give off carbon dioxide so some stores will
require a ventilation fan, this air needs to be cooled down so you must account for this if it’s used.

The purpose of calculating cooling load is to choose the equipment in the cooling system cycle
correctly and economically. If the cooling system elements are selected correctly, the system will
work efficiently and for many years in a way that is expected.

Cold room Cooling load calculation –worked example

Cooling Load is calculated in 4 main groups

1- Heat losses on the wall, floor, and ceiling surrounding the cooled volume
2- Hot air entering the cold storage while the cold room door is open

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3- Heat load from stored products
4- Heat from the heat sources inside the cold storage (People, Lighting, engine, etc.)

Let’s consider a simplified example of a cooling load calculation for a cold room.

Transmission load

 The dimensions of our cold store are 6m long, 5m wide and 4m high.
 The ambient air is 30°c at 50% RH, The internal air is 1°C at 95% RH
 The walls, roof and floor are all insulated with 80mm polyurethane with a U value of
0.28W/m2.K
 The ground temperature is 10°C.

To calculate the transmission load we will be using the formula

Q = U x A x (Temp out – Temp in) x 24 ÷ 1000.

Where;

 Q = kWh/day heat load

 U = U value of insulation (we already know this value) (W/m2.K)
 A = surface area of walls, roof and floor, calculated (m2)
 Temp in = The air temperature inside the room (°C)
 Temp out = The ambient external air temperature (°C)
 24 = Hours in a day
 1000 = conversion from Watts to kW.

Calculation of area “A”, it’s just the size of each internal wall, roof and floor;

Side 1 = 6m x 4m = 24m2
Side 2 = 6m x 4m = 24m2
Side 3 = 5m x 4m = 20m2
Side 4 = 5m x 4m = 20m2
Roof = 5m x 6m = 30m2
Floor = 5m x 6m = 30m2

Heat through Walls and roof – the areas are combined together since the heat transfer
conditions are similar

Q = U x A x (Temp out – Temp in) x 24 ÷ 1000

Q = 0.28W/m2.K x 113m2 x (30°C – 1°C) x 24 ÷ 1000
Q = 22 kWh/day

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 A = [113m2 = 24m2 + 24m2 + 20m2 + 20m2 + 30m2 + 30m2 ]

Floor – exchanges heat with the ground which is at a different temperature.

Q = U x A x (Temp out – Temp in) x 24 ÷ 1000

Q = 0.28W/m2.K x 30m2 x (10°C – 1°C) x 24 ÷ 1000
Q = 1.8 kWh/day

Total daily transmission heat gain = 22kWh/day + 1.8kWh/day = 23.8kWh/day

Remember if your cold room is in direct sunlight you’ll need to account for the suns energy also.

Product load – Product exchange

Next we will calculate the cooling load from the product exchange, i.e., the heat brought into the
cold room from new products which are at a higher temperature.

For this example we’ll be storing apples, so we need the specific heat capacity of the apples - but
do remember if you’re freezing products then the products will have a different specific heat when
cooling, freezing and sub cooling so you’ll need to account for this and calculate this separately,
but in this example we’re just cooling.

There are 4,000kg of new apples arriving each day at a temperature of 5°C and a specific heat
capacity of 3.65kJ/kg.°C.

We can then use the formula

Q = m x Cp x (Temp enter – Temp store) / 3600.

 Q = kWh/day
 CP = Specific Heat Capacity of product (kJ/kg.°C)
 m = the mass of new products each day (kg)
 Temp enter = the entering temperature of the products (°C)
 Temp store = the temperature within the store (°C)
 3600 = convert from kJ to kWh.

Calculation

Q = m x Cp x (Temp enter – Temp store) / 3600

Q = 4,000kg x 3.65kJ/kg.°C x (5°C – 1°C) / 3600.
Q = 16kWh/day

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Product load – Product respiration

Next we calculate the product respiration, this is the heat generated by living products such as fruit
and vegetables. These will generate heat as they are still alive, that’s why we’re cooling them to
slow them down their deterioration and preserve them for longer.

For this example we use rate of respiration heat as 1.9kJ/kg per day as an average but this rate
changes over time and with temperature. In this example the store maintains a hold of 20,000kg
of apples.

To calculate this we’ll use the formula

Q = m x resp / 3600
Where:
 Q = kWh/day
 m = mass of product in storage (kg)

 resp = the respiration heat of the product (1.9kJ/kg)

 3600 = converts the kJ to kWh.

Q = m x resp / 3600
Q = 20,000kg x 1.9kJ/kg / 3600
Q = 10.5kWh/day

For the product section we’ll sum together the product exchange of 16kWh/day and respiration
load of 10.5kWh/day to get a total product load of 26.5 kWh/day.

Internal heat load – People

Next, calculate the internal loads from people working in the cold room, as people generate heat
and this should be accounted for.

Estimating 2 people to be working in the store for 4 hours a day and assume at this temperature
they will give off around 270 Watts of heat per hour inside.

Using the formula:

Q = people x time x heat / 1000

 Q = kWh/day

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  people = how many people inside
 time = length of time they spend inside each day per person (Hours)
 heat = heat loss per person per hour (Watts)
 1,000 just converts the watts into kW

Calculation:

Q = people x time x heat / 1000

Q = 2 x 4 hours x 270 Watts / 1000
Q = 2.16 kWh/day

Internal heat load – Lighting

Calculation of the heat generated by the lighting, this is fairly simple to do and the formula used
is;

Q= lamps x time x wattage / 1000

 Q = kWh/day,
 lamps = number of lamps within the cold room
 time = hours of use per day
 wattage = power rating of the lamps
 1000 = converts the Watts to kW.

If we have 3 lamps at 100W each, running for 4 hours a day, the calculation would be:

Q= lamps x time x wattage / 1000

Q= 3 x 4 hours x 100W / 1000
Q= 1.2kWh/day

For the total internal load we then just sum the people load (2.16 kWh/day) and lighting load
(1.2kWh/day) to get a value of 3.36kWh/day.

Equipment load – fan motors

The heat generation of the fan motors in the evaporator is calculated using the formula:

Q = fans x time x wattage / 1000

 Q = kWh/day
 fans = the number of fans
 time = fan daily run hours (hours)
 wattage = the rated power of the fan motors (Watts)
 1000 = convert from watts to kw.

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In this cold room evaporator we’ll be using 3 fans rated at 200W each and estimate that they will
be running for 14 hours per day.

Calculation:

Q = fans x time x wattage / 1000

Q = 3 x 14 hours x 200W / 1000
Q = 8.4kWh/day

Equipment load – fan motors for defrosting the evaporator

The heat load caused by defrosting the evaporator is calculated using the formula:

Q = power x time x cycles x efficiency

 Q = kWh/day,
 power = power rating of the heating element (kW)
 time = defrost run time (Hours)
 cycles = how many times per day will the defrost cycle occur
 Efficiency = what % of the heat will be transferred into the space.

In this example our cold room uses an electric heating element rated at 1.2kW, it runs for 30
minutes 3 times per day and the estimate that 30% of all the energy it consumes is just
transferred into the cold room.

Q = power x time x cycles x efficiency

Q = 1.2kW x 0.5hours x 3 x 0.3
Q = 0.54kWh/day

The total equipment load is then the fan heat load (8.4kWh/day) plus the defrost heat load
(0.54kWh/day) which therefore equals 8.94 kWh/day

Infiltration load

To calculate the heat load from air infiltration we use a simplified equation. Using the formula:

Q = changes x volume x energy x (Temp out – Temp in ) / 3600

 Q = kWh/d
 changes = number of volume changes per day
 volume = the volume of the cold store
 energy = energy per cubic meter per degree Celsius
 Temp out is the air temperature outside
 Temp in is the air temperature inside
 3600 is just to convert from kJ to kWh.

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We’ll estimate that there will be 5 volume air changes per day due to the door being open, the
volume is calculated at 120m3, each cubic meter of new air provides 2kJ/°C, the air outside is
30°C and the air inside is 1°C

Q = changes x volume x energy x (Temp out – Temp in ) / 3600

Q = 5 x 120m3 x 2kJ/°C x (30°C – 1°C ) / 3600
Q = 9.67 kWh/day

Total cooling load

To calculate the total cooling load we will just sum all the values calculated

Transmission load: 23.8kWh/day

Product load: 26.5 kWh/day
Internal load: 3.36kWh/day
Equipment load: 8.94 kWh/day
Infiltration load: 9.67 kWh/day
Total = 72.27 kWh/day

Safety Factor

We should also then apply a safety factor to the calculation to account for errors and variations
from design. It’s typical to add 10 to 30 percent onto the calculation to cover this, taking 20% in
this example we just multiply the cooling load by a safety factor of 1.2 to give us our total cooling
load of 86.7 kWh/day

Summary

The design of cold storage requires information on the following aspects.

(i) Size of the cold storage
(ii) Products to be stored
(iii) Incoming temperature of the product
(iv) Storage temperature
(v) Ambient temperature
(vi) Air change load
(vii) Numbers of persons working in the cold storage.

The desirable properties of insulating materials for cold rooms are as listed below.

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 (i) Low thermal conductivity
(ii) Higher structural strength
(iii) Light in weight
(iv) High water repellent property
(v) Odorless
(vi) Non-inflammable
(vii) Low cost

Refrigeration cooling capacity sizing

The last thing we need to do is calculate the refrigeration capacity to handle this load, a common
approach is to average the total daily cooling load by the run time of the refrigeration unit. For this
I’m estimating the unit to run 14 hours per day which is fairly typical for this size and type of store.
Therefore our total cooling load of 86.7kWh/day divided by 14 hours means our refrigeration unit
needs to have a capacity of 6.2kW to sufficiently meet this cooling load.

Refrigeration System

This is the basic refrigeration cycle. The main components are, the compressor, the condenser, the
expansion valve, and also the evaporator.

The compressor compresses the refrigerant and pushes it around the system. This is the heart of
system and is what pumps the refrigerant around the refrigeration system to provide the cooling.

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It pulls in refrigerant that has collected all the unwanted heat from the evaporator and it compresses
it into a much smaller volume so that all thermal energy is very tightly packed together, making
the refrigerant very hot.

The refrigerant is sucked into the compressor as a low-pressure vapour and it leaves as a high-
pressure vapour. The high pressure refrigerant vapour exits the compressor and flows to the
condenser.

The condenser rejects the unwanted heat from the system to the surrounding. The condenser cools
the refrigerant down by pulling the unwanted heat out of the refrigerant and discharges the heat
into the ambient outside air. This is typically done by passing the hot refrigerant through the inside
of some small tubes and using a fan to force cooler ambient air across the outside of the tubes to
cool it down and carry the heat away. Additionally, in some cases a small pump sprays water over
the pipes, which evaporates and helps carry more heat away. The refrigerant is sealed inside the
pipe and doesn’t come into contact with the air or water, it is always separated the two never meet
or mix. Only the heat of the refrigerant passes through the pipe wall and is carried away by the air
and water.

As the heat is removed the refrigerant condenses into a liquid. So it leaves the condenser as a high
pressure liquid refrigerant and flows to the receiver. The receiver is a storage vessel for a reservoir
of liquid refrigerant and holds any excess that’s not in use. This allows it to maintain a minimum
head pressure and also perform under varying cooling loads, providing a buffer. The refrigerant
then flows to the expansion valve which regulates the pressure and addition of liquid refrigerant
to the evaporator circuit.

The expansion valve expands the refrigerant – this lowers the pressure from the condenser
pressure to the evaporator pressure.

The evaporator absorbs the unwanted heat that’s been collected from the building, it also
produces the cooling, which goes out to the building.

The cold refrigerant from the expansion valve enters the evaporator and passes on the inside of
some pipes inside the evaporator and a fan blows the warm room air across the outside of these
tubes. The cold refrigerant absorbs this heat so the air leaves much cooler and thus provides cooling
to the space. As the warm air passes across the evaporator pipes, it causes the refrigerant to boil
and evaporate. As it evaporates it carry’s the heat away. Just like when water boils in a pan, steam
rises from the pan and carry’s the heat away. Again the refrigerant is sealed inside the pipe and it
never comes into contact or mixes with the air, the two are always separated. The refrigerant enters
the compressor as a low pressure vapour refrigerant.

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