Potato chiller room is the storage facility for potato or other vegetables that uses cooling facilities to create suitable humidity and low temperature conditions. Also known as the cold room. The potato chiller room is the place to process and store products in controlled condition. The chiller room for potato can get rid of the impact of the climate, then extend the shelf life of various products to regulate the market supply.

Potato Chiller Room

• The Chiller room is mainly used for constant temperature storage of food, dairy products, aquatic products, fruits and vegetables, cold drinks, flowers, green plants, tea, medicines, chemical raw materials, electronic instruments and the like.
• Chiller room is actually a kind of cold air equipment combined with low temperature. The chiller room (refrigerator) is also a kind of refrigeration equipment. Compared with the refrigerator, the cooling area is much larger, but they have the same cooling principle.

1.Characteristics of Potato Chiller Room

• The main storage temperature of potatoes in chiller room is 3-10℃, and the activity of amylase in potatoes increases at 0℃, which accelerates the hydrolysis of starch into sugar and enhances the respiration of potatoes.
• Relative humidity of storage environment also has a great impact on potato storage. When the air is dry, water evaporates quickly, potato skin shrinks, and the air is wet and easy to dry, which will affect the quality of potatoes.
• Potato chiller room temperature characteristics: fresh potatoes on the market storage temperature 4-7℃, relative humidity 95-98%, used for processing potatoes, temperature 8-10℃, relative humidity 95-98%, seed potatoes storage temperature 0-3℃, relative humidity 95-98%.

2.Storage Methods and Management

• The dormancy period of potatoes is usually 2 to 4 months after harvest and length of dormancy period varies with varieties. The dormancy period of late-maturing varieties was short and that of early-maturing varieties was long. Different maturity also affected the length of dormancy period. The dormancy period of immature potato tubers was longer than that of mature potato tubers. Storage temperature also affects the length of dormancy period. The dormancy period of potato blocks stored at a suitable low temperature is long, especially at the early stage of storage, the low temperature is very beneficial to prolong the dormancy period.
• Potatoes are rich in starch and sugar, which can be converted into each other during storage. When the temperature drops to 0℃, the activity of starch hydrolase increases, monosaccharide accumulates in potato tubers, sweet potato tubers, poor edible quality and browning of processed products. If the storage temperature rises, the monosaccharide will synthesize starch. When the temperature is higher than 30 and lower than 0℃, the sweet potato core is easy to blacken.

The suitable storage temperature of potatoes is 3 ~ 5℃, but potatoes used as fried potato chips or fried potato chips should be stored at 10 ~ 13℃. The suitable relative humidity for storage is 85% to 90%. Excessive humidity tends to increase rot, humidity is too low, water loss increases, and potato tubers shrink.

3.Running under Fixed Conditions

• Storage methods and management of harvested potato chips can be stacked in a cool and ventilated room, cellar or shade. Let potato chips heat and evaporate excessive moisture. Promote wound healing. Potato piles are generally no more than 0.5. The width is not more than 2 m. Ventilation pipes should be set up in proper amount in the reactor. In order to ventilate and cool down. Shade with a straw curtain. During the pre-storage period, the rotten potatoes should be checked and removed frequently, and the rotten potatoes should be handled lightly to avoid mechanical damage.
• After 2-3 weeks, the skin of potatoes became aged and dry, the epidermis cells were corked, callus was formed, and the rotten potato pieces were basically selected and stored formally.
• Potatoes were preserved with fruit and vegetable smoking agent after they entered the chiller room 5 g per cubic meter. It can be stored in cold storage. It can also be packed and stacked. The relative humidity is 85-90%.

Chiller Room Security Requirements

• Transportation vehicles for chiller room should meet the requirements of relevant standards.
• The chiller room should be reasonably partitioned and set with relevant signs to facilitate the storage, transportation and management of goods in the warehouse.
• Emergency lighting, door lock and alarm device should be set up in the chiller room, which can be rescued or alarmed for help.
• The shelves in the chiller room should have sufficient strength and rigidity.
• There should be anti-smashing guardrails around the chiller room door, and there are eye-catching signs.
• The assembled chiller room should be provided with a balance window.