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Environmental impact of various alternative supermarket refrigeration systems
... About 70% of the cooling load of refrigerated display cabinets originates from air infiltration [112,113]. Replacing the open type cabinets by cabinets with glass doors can reduce the energy consumption in the range of 30 to 40 % [114,115]. A reduction in warm air entering the cabinets reduces the frost formation on the evaporator coils, resulting in less frequent defrost cycles. ...
This paper presents a thorough review on the recent developments and latest research studies on cold thermal energy storage (CTES) using phase change materials (PCM) applied to refrigeration systems. The presented study includes a classification of the different types of PCMs applied for air-conditioning (AC) systems (20∘C) to low-temperature freezing of food (-60∘C). An overview of the influencing thermophysical properties of PCMs, as well as their respective characterisation methods, are presented. The current available PCMs on the market in the temperature range 10∘C to -65∘C are listed. Finally, research on CTES using PCMs in refrigeration systems are reviewed and grouped into applications for food transport and packaging, commercial refrigeration and various other refrigeration systems. The findings show that using ice/water as PCM for AC applications is the most commonly studied system, due to widespread use of these systems, expected growth in the future and low cost of using water as the PCM. Over the last ten years the published research integrating CTES in different parts of the food cold chain, using water-salt solutions and paraffin PCM in both active and passive methods, has increased. Suggestions for the integration of CTES in supermarkets and industrial applications are also emerging. The technology has received increased interest from the scientific community the last five years, due to the benefits of achieving peak shaving of the refrigeration demand, exploiting low-cost electricity hours and offering backup refrigeration in case of blackouts.
... The installation of doors can result in a large decrease in the heat load (50-80%) that must be removed from the cases (Navigant Consulting, Inc., 2012). With cabinets covered by glass doors or lids, the refrigerating capacity for a supermarket may be reduced by up to 40% (Kauffeld et al., 2008). Lindber et al. (2010) carried out a Swedish supermarket and laboratory study. ...
Several field studies have shown that the display cabinet is a critical link in the cold chain. A survey carried out by Cemagref and ANIA (2004) in France on three chilled foods (yoghurt, ready‐to‐eat meals and meat products) showed that 8% of products presented in refrigerated display cabinets were subjected to temperature abuse (more than 2°C higher than the recommended preservation temperature). This study also shows that the mean product temperature in display cabinets is 3.44°C (standard deviation = 1.77°C) and the mean residence time is 3.82 days. Willocx et al. (1994) carried out a survey on processed vegetables in Belgian retail display cabinets. This study showed that temperature differ-ences of more than 5°C were measured on the shelves. These authors observed that the temperature in one position increased towards the end of the day by 4°C and towards the end of the week by almost 7°C. Evans et al. (2007) observed that the majority of high‐temperature packs (97%) were located at the front and the largest numbers (60%) of them were at the front base.Good design and control of operating conditions in supermarkets should take place in order to improve the product temperature inside the display cabinets. The objective of this chapter is to give information on different types of display cabinet, their operation, the influence of operating conditions, and the refrigerant leakage, which has financial and environmental impacts.
... The installation of doors can result in a large decrease in the heat load (50-80%) that must be removed from the cases (Navigant Consulting, Inc., 2012). With cabinets covered by glass doors or lids, the refrigerating capacity for a supermarket may be reduced by up to 40% (Kauffeld et al., 2008). Lindber et al. (2010) carried out a Swedish supermarket and laboratory study. ...
Good design and control of operating conditions in supermarkets should take place in order to improve the product temperature inside the display cabinets. This chapter presents information on different types of display cabinet, their operation, the influence of operating conditions, and the refrigerant leakage. This leakage has financial and environmental impacts. The chapter talks about types of display cabinet, display cabinet operation, and the performance of cabinets. An explanation of the influence of different heat transfer modes on the air and product temperatures in a display cabinet is provided. Several field studies have shown that the display cabinet is a weak link in the cold chain. This leads to the necessity of understanding the operation during which convection, radiation and conduction heat transfer modes are involved. Knowledge of product temperature control, optimum operating conditions and energy consumption is essential to influence good equipment design.
... There is a significant increase in electricity consumption towards the final stages of the chain. Up to 30-50 % of energy can be saved by introducing display cabinets with doors instead of open cabinets (Estrada-Flores, 2007) (Kauffeld et al., 2008) in supermarkets . This means that energy-saving technologies that target retail and domestic refrigeration can significantly decrease the financial and environmental impacts of energy usage worldwide (Gheewala et al., 2011). ...
This paper presents the results of an investigation into where and how food waste at the retail and consumer levels would be affected by a lower temperature in the cold chain for chilled food. A lower temperature means that shelf life will be longer. If, for example, milk, ready meals and sandwich spreads were stored at 4 °C instead of 8 °C, it would extend product shelf lives by up to weeks in some cases. A lower temperature in the cold chain could allow food producers to extend the expiry date on their products. Longer shelf life, combined with extended expiry date on products, could reduce the in-store waste of foods having a date indication. A lower temperature in the cold chain in combination with extended shelf life marking could reduce food waste for those consumers who do not eat foods past their expiry dates. A project to study the effects on food waste by lowering the temperature in the cold chain was performed by SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden (Jensen and Båth, 2013). The project was initiated by the Swedish National Food Agency and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. In addition to a literature review, the project included two parts presented in this paper: an analytical model and an interview study. Producers and store managers have given their views on how they think a lower temperature in the cold chain would affect the amount of waste of chilled foods. If the results indicate that the temperature in the cold chain should be lower, further work should be carried out to investigate where and how the temperature should be reduced. Investment costs should also be considered, along with other potential working areas, such as improved knowledge. This paper discusses these issues.
... % (Kauffeld et al., 2008). Under controlled conditions Faramarzi et al. (2002) studied door-openings for vertical deli/dairy display cases with retrofitted doors and the total cooling load was reduced by 68 % for door opened 16 seconds five times an hour during the 24 hour-period. ...
... At the retail end of the cold chain, supermarkets use about 3-4 % of electricity in industrial countries. Typically, 40 to 60 % of this electricity use is related to the refrigeration equipment, with the potential for energy savings amounting to more than 50 % at moderate costs (Kauffeld, 2008). Data from the preparatory study of Lot 12, (Monier , 2007, ECEE 2011 indicate that the energy consumption for this product group could be reduced to 55 TWh/year by 2015 and to 47 TWh/year by 2020, compared to a business-as-usual scenario of 69 TWh/year by 2015 and 73 TWh/year by 2020. ...
... Earlier experience, as shown by Lindberg et al. (2007a, b), suggests that energy savings alone is not always a sufficient reason for extra investment in efficient display cabinets and other technical improvements. With cabinets covered by glass doors or lids the refrigerating capacity for a supermarket may be reduced by up to 40 % (Kauffeld M. et al., 2008). In doing this, however, the impact on the general Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system must be considered. ...
... Earlier experience, as shown by Lindberg et al. (2007a, b), suggests that energy savings alone is not always a sufficient reason for extra investment in efficient display cabinets and other technical improvements. With cabinets covered by glass doors or lids the refrigerating capacity for a supermarket may be reduced by up to 40 % (Kauffeld M. et al., 2008). In doing this, however, the impact on the general Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system must be considered. ...
... This trend is spreading across the world, with installations made in Switzerland 4 , England 5 and Australia 6 to name a few. Kauffeld et al. (2008) gave a description of typical solutions and an analysis of environmental impact of commercial refrigeration systems. ...
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