Advantage of evaporative cooled storage
1. Avoid distress sale of fresh fruits, vegetables and
flowers. It requires no special skill to operate and
therefore is most suitable for rural application.
2. It can be made from locally available materials.
3. Its size can be fitted to the house hold need.
4. Better marketability of fresh horticultural produce
than ambient.
5. Retain nutritive value.
6. Environment friendly storage system with no pollution.
7. Highly efficient evaporative cooling systems that can
reduce energy use by 70%.
8. Evaporation not only lowers the air temperature
surrounding the produce, it also increases the moisture
content of the air. This helps to prevent the drying out
of the produce, and therefore extends its shelf life.
9. Less expensive to install and operate.
10. It can be easily made and maintained.
11. The evaporative cool chamber does not require
mechanical or electrical energy input and can be
constructed with locally available material with
unskilled labour.
12. It is economical and can store the fruits and vegetables
for 3 to 5 days without any significant loss
Disadvantage
1. Evaporative cooling system requires a constant water
supply to wet the pads. Therefore, need to be watered
daily.
2. Space is required at outside the home.
3. Water high in mineral content leave mineral deposits on
the pads and interior of the cooler gets damaged.
4. High dew point (humidity) condition decreases the
cooling capability of the evaporative cooler.
5. No dehumidification. Traditional air conditioners
remove moisture from the air, except in very dry
location. Evaporative cooling adds moisture and in dry
climates, dryness may improve thermal comfort at
higher temperatures.