Heatcraft Refrigeration Products H-ENGM0408, H-ENGM0806 manual Banana Ripening Room

Banana Ripening Room

Banana hands or cluster shipped greens in fiberboard cartons, 10” x 16” x 22”, holding 42 lb. net (47 lbs. gross weight) with

864 boxes (3,288) lbs, net in a carload lot. Temperature held 56 to 58ºF.

Ripening facility consists of 5 or more air tight rooms to permit a completely weekly turn-over (1/2 carload room, measuring 30’ x 6’ x 22’H outside, holds 432 boxes packed, 24 boxes each on 18 pallets stacked 3 high by 6 long). Ripening process started with ethylene gas and ripening schedules maintained by control of room temperatures.

Heating is provided to bring the load up to temperature before ripening process is initiated. 12 to 20 Kw per carload. (Electric heater sheath temperature not over 600ºF. in dead still air).

Evaporators are selected at a T.D. of 15ºF., or less, with evaporator temperature controlled at no less than 40ºF. Approximately 12.5 cfm at 2/3” to 3/4” static per 41 lb. box of bananas.

Pull down load for 1ºF./hr. pull down rate based on maximum heat of respiration of 2.5 BTU/lb. and 0.8 sp. ht. for bananas and 0.4 for fiberboard boxing, plus minimal wall losses etc., 80 to 85 BTU/hr./ box of bananas. Holding load approximately 44 BTU/hr./box.

Extracted from ASHRAE 1974 APPLICATION HANDBOOK.

Loading: 5.3 lbs./Cu. Ft. of box, 11.28 lbs. net per pallet

Table 16

Banana Rooms – Refrigeration Requirements

	Number	Evaporator	Approx.	Elect.
Room	Boxes	BTU Per	CFM Air	Heat
Size	Prod.	10º TD	Volume	Input
1/2 Car	432	36000	6000	6Kw
1 Car	864	72000	12000	12Kw
2 Car	1728	144000	24000	24Kw

Table 17
Meat Cutting/Prep Room Load			(BTU/HR/SQ FT of floor area)
Floor	Approx. 65% R.H.
	Room Temp.
SQ FT
	55ºF.	50ºF.	Room Loads based on continuous
100	93	105	operation and includes allowance
200	88	99	for average number of personnel,
300	85	95	processing equipment, etc., with
400	81	90	glass panel in one wall and walls
500	78	87	and ceiling insulated with 3” of
600	75	85	styrene with box located in air
700	72	81	conditioned area. Evaporator
800	69	78	should be low outlet velocity type
900	67	75	to avoid drafts and should be
1000	65	73	selected for continuous operation
1200	62	69	and not less than 30ºF. evap. temp.

Table 18

Rapid load selection for back bars

(Based on 2” glass fiber or	equivalent insulation and 50ºF., T.D.)
Back Bar		BTU/Hour Load Based on
Length in feet		16 Hour Compressor Operation
6 Feet		1,060
8 Feet		1,416
10 Feet		1,770
12 Feet		2,120
15 Feet		2,650
20 Feet		3,540

Table 19

Refrigeration requirements for hardening ice cream

Overrun	Hardening Load, BTU
Percent	per Gal. Ice Cream
60	532
70	500
80	470
90	447
100	425
110	405
120	386

Percentage overrun =

100 x Wt. per gal. of mix - Wt. per gal. of ice cream Wt. per gal. of ice cream

Ice cream assumed at 25ºF., and 30% frozen, entering hardening room.

To retain a smooth texture in hardened ice cream, it is necessary to freeze the remaining water content rapidly. With forced air circulation, time to harden will be about 10 hours with room maintained at -20. Hardening rooms are usually sized to allow for minimum of 3 times the daily peak production and for a stock of all flavors with the size based on 10 gallons per sq. ft. stacked solid 6 ft. high, including space for isles.

Reprinted by permission from

ASHRAE 1974 APPLICATION HANDBOOK

Table 20

Glass Door Loads

Box	BTU per
Temperature	Door
+35	1060
+30	960
0	1730
-10	1730
-20	1730

*Adjusted for 16-18 hour run time. Multiply number of doors times door load above and add to box load.

19