What is Cold Storage
09/04/2011
Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This is technically what is known as cold storage. Refrigeration has many applications, including, but not limited to: household refrigerators, industrial freezers, cryogenics, air conditioning, and heat pumps. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means.
Widely Used Cold Storage Applications
Probably the most widely used current applications of refrigeration are for the refrigeration of foodstuffs in homes, restaurants and large storage warehouses the air conditioning of private homes and public buildings. The use of refrigerators in kitchens for the storage of fruits and vegetables has permitted the addition of fresh salads to the modern diet year round, and to store fish and meats safely for long periods.
In commerce and manufacturing, there are many uses for cold storage. In compressed air purification, it is used to condense water vapour from compressed air to reduce its moisture content. Refrigeration is used to liquify gases - oxygen, nitrogen, propane and methane, for example. In oil refineries, chemical plants, and petrochemical plants, refrigeration is used to maintain certain processes at their required low temperatures (for example, in the alkylation of butenes and butane to produce a high octane gasoline component). Metal workers use refrigeration to temper steel and cutlery. In transporting temperature-sensitive foodstuffs and other materials by trucks, trains, airplanes and sea-going vessels, refrigeration is a necessity.
cold storage refrigeration, and it was only discovered in the past few decades that eggs needed to be refrigerated during shipment rather than waiting to be refrigerated after arrival at the grocery store. Meats, poultry and fish all must be kept in climate-controlled environments before being sold. Refrigeration also helps keep fruits and vegetables edible longer.
Cold Storage Aplications an the Prevention of Death
One of the most influential uses of refrigeration was in the development of the sushi/sashimi industry in Japan. Prior to the discovery of refrigeration, many sushi connoisseurs suffered death from diseases such as hepatitis A. The dangers of unrefrigerated sashimi was not brought to light for decades due to the lack of research and healthcare distribution across rural Japan. Around mid-century, the Zojirushi corporation, based in Kyoto, made breakthroughs in refrigerator designs, making refrigerators cheaper and more accessible for restaurant proprietors and the general public.
