Evaluation of pad materials in construction of active evaporative cooler for storage of fruits and vegetables in arid environments.
Dzivama A. U., Aboaba F. O., Bindir U. B.
Author Affiliation: Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
AMA, Agricultural Mechanization in Asia, Africa and Latin America 30 : 51-55
Abstract : Four pad materials (ground sponge, stem sponge, jute fibre and charcoal) were tested as pads for an active evaporative cooler. At an ambient temperature of 32°C and relative humidity 25%, the stem sponge gave the best performance, with a temperature reduction of up to 18°C and relative humidity increase up to 84%. Using the stem sponge in varied system settings resulted in temperature reductions of over 20°C and humidity increases up to 73% for a system setting of 90.0 ml/s water flow rate, pad thickness 60 mm, and an air suction velocity 2.7 m/s. The structure was evaluated for storing mangoes (Mangifera indica), bananas (Musa sapientum) and tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum). Results indicated that the produce kept in good physical condition for 18 days in the cooler, compared to 9 days in ambient conditions.