Was ist ein Kühlraum?

A walk-in cooler, sometimes called a cold room, is a refrigerated room or insulated space used to maintain an artificially set temperature or temperature range and is essential in everyday commercial life.

1. What Are the Types of Cold Room?

Kühlraum is generally categorized into three types: high temperature, medium-low temperature, and ultra-low temperature. Different ingredients require different temperatures.

High-temperature walk in cold room: This is what we call refrigerated storage. It typically maintains temperatures above 0°C and is commonly used for preserving fruits, vegetables, eggs, medicinal herbs, and wood for preservation and drying. It maintains a temperature around 0°C and uses air coolers for cooling.

Medium-low temperature cold storage: This is high-temperature freezing cold storage. It typically maintains temperatures below -18°C and is primarily used for storing meat, aquatic products, and other items within this temperature range.

Low-temperature cold room: Also known as freezer room, typically maintains temperatures between -20°C and -30°C and uses air coolers or specialized freezing equipment to freeze food.

Ultra-low temperature cold room: This is cold storage with a temperature of ≤-30°C. It is primarily used for quick-freezing food and specialized applications such as industrial testing and medical treatment. Market applications require slightly smaller units than the above three types.

Medium temperature chiller room usually uses 100MM thick cold storage panels, low temperature storage and frozen storage usually use 120MM or 150MM thick panels. The foaming density of cold storage panels is 38KG ~ 40KG/cubic meter according to national standards.

If you want to know more about the types of cold room, you can click here: Welche Arten von Kühlräumen gibt es?

2. What Are the Types of Cold Room Panels?

The selection of cold room panels is very important for chiller room, because chiller room is different from other warehouses. It has very high requirements for temperature, humidity and other environmental conditions. Therefore, when choosing cold room panels, you should pay attention to the material and thermal insulation strength of the panels. Only by choosing the right panels can you protect the cold storage well.

The main types of cold storage flooring are as follows:

A. Embossed color-coated steel plate
B. Stainless steel plate
C. Color-coated zinc steel plate
D. Salt-coated steel plate
E. Standard flooring

3. How to Calculate Cold Room Capacity?

To calculate the tonnage of a chiller room facility (calculated according to walk in cold room design specifications and relevant national standards for cold storage capacity): Internal volume of the cold storage room × volume utilization factor × unit weight of food = cold storage tonnage.

First, calculate the actual space available for storage within the cold storage facility: Internal cold room space – required aisle space, space occupied by internal equipment, and space required for internal ventilation (this can be estimated or calculated using the volume utilization factor in Table 1 below).

Then, find the weight per cubic meter of space available for storage based on the inventory type. Multiply this number by the weight to determine the tonnage of products the cold storage facility can hold.

500-1000 cubic meters = 0.40;
1001-2000 cubic meters = 0.50;
2001-10,000 cubic meters = 0.55;
10,001-15,000 cubic meters = 0.60.

Note: According to our experience, the actual available volume is greater than the volume utilization coefficient defined by the national standard. For example, the national standard utilization coefficient of a cold storage with a volume of 1,000 cubic meters is 0.4. If it is placed scientifically and effectively, the actual utilization coefficient can generally reach 0.5-0.6.

4. How to Maintain a Cold Storage？

After a new installation or after long periods of downtime, a chiller room and refrigeration equipment should undergo a comprehensive inspection and commissioning before being used again. Only when all indicators are normal can it be started up under the guidance of a professional refrigeration technician.

(A). During use, be careful to avoid collisions and scratches with hard objects on the cold room unit and its exterior. These can cause dents and rust, and in severe cases, even reduce the insulation performance.

(B). Because prefabricated freezer room is constructed from several insulation panels, there are gaps between the panels. During construction, these gaps are sealed with sealant to prevent air and moisture from entering. Therefore, any areas where seals have failed should be promptly repaired during use. Avoid cold air escape.

(C). Small prefabricated walk in cold room floors generally use insulation panels. When using the cold room, be sure to prevent large amounts of ice and water from accumulating on the floor. If ice is present, avoid using hard objects to knock on the floor when cleaning, as this may damage the floor.

(D). Initial Operation: Regularly check the compressor oil level, oil return, and oil cleanliness. Any contamination or drop in the oil level should be addressed promptly to prevent poor lubrication.

(E). Clean the air cooler regularly to maintain good heat exchange. Check the motor and fan of the chiller room for smooth rotation. If there is any lubrication, add lubricant. If there is any abnormal grinding noise, replace the bearings with those of the same model and specification. Clean the fan blades, coils, and water pan. For air coolers, regularly inspect the condenser and remove any scale buildup.

(F). For the evaporator, regularly check defrost status. Timely and effective defrosting can affect cooling efficiency and cause liquid backflow in the refrigeration system.

(G). Regularly monitor the compressor’s operating status and check its exhaust temperature. During seasonal operation, pay special attention to system operation and adjust the system’s liquid supply and condensing temperature promptly.

(H). Listen carefully to the operating sounds of the compressor and condenser fan. Address any abnormalities promptly. Also, check the compressor, exhaust pipe, and base for vibration. Check the compressor for any unusual odors.

(I). Initially, the system’s internal cleanliness is poor. Therefore, the refrigerant oil should be replaced after 30 days of operation. For systems with higher cleanliness requirements, the oil should be replaced after six months of operation (depending on the actual situation).

(J). Refrigeration technicians should inspect and maintain the compressor annually. Check the oil level and color. If the oil level is below the 1/2 mark of the sight glass, identify the cause of the leak and eliminate the problem before refilling the lubricant. If the oil has changed color, replace the lubricant immediately. Check for air in the refrigeration system and vent any air if present.

(K). Regularly check and confirm that the power supply voltage meets the cold room’s requirements. The voltage should be 380V ± 10% (three-phase, four-wire). When chiller room equipment is not in use for an extended period, disconnect the main power supply to the fresh-keeping cold storage and ensure that the equipment is protected from moisture, dust, and other contaminants.

(L). Regularly check whether the connecting pipes of the refrigeration unit and the connecting pipes on the valves are firm and whether there is any refrigerant leakage (usually oil stains will appear at the leakage point).

5. Before You Go

Cold rooms are highly regarded for their precision and power, so if you would like to know more about cold storage, please ask us.