Introduction to CO₂ Refrigerant Cold Storage
Core Refrigerant
Core Advantages of CO₂
As an efficient and environmentally friendly natural refrigerant, CO₂ (carbon dioxide) is the mainstream choice for the green upgrading of the current cold chain industry. It is especially suitable for various cold storage, commercial cold chains and precision low-temperature storage scenarios that have high requirements for refrigeration stability, environmental protection and safety, and is one of the optimal solutions for replacing traditional high-GWP refrigerants. Its core advantages are in line with industry practices, as follows: First, it boasts excellent refrigeration efficiency, stable condensing pressure and outstanding heat exchange performance, enabling it to quickly reach the set storage temperature and maintain it precisely, effectively reducing operational energy consumption. It is suitable for full-temperature-range refrigeration needs from -40℃ to +15℃, with optimal refrigeration efficiency particularly in the -25℃~+5℃ range, which can cover conventional cold storage and some low-temperature storage requirements.
Second, it features excellent environmental performance, with an ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) of 0 and a GWP (Global Warming Potential) of only 1, fully complying with the current green and low-carbon development trend and strict environmental compliance requirements, and is a natural and environmentally friendly refrigerant vigorously promoted by the state. Third, it ensures stable and reliable operation, with stable chemical properties, no corrosiveness, and no flammability or explosion risks (classified as Class A1 non-flammable refrigerant), offering high safety in use, smooth system oil return, and low maintenance costs. It significantly reduces customers' comprehensive costs during long-term operation, which aligns with the core demand for the long-term stable operation of cold storage. Fourth, it has mature and extensive applications. The application technology of CO₂ refrigerant in cold chain logistics, food processing, pharmaceutical storage, commercial cold chain and other fields is increasingly improved, allowing operators to get started easily without additional investment in substantial technical training costs. At the same time, we have optimized the system design according to the characteristics of CO₂ (high-pressure properties), matched with dedicated high-pressure compressors and heat exchange components, to further improve refrigeration efficiency and operational stability, ensuring the long-term safe and efficient operation of the cold storage.
key feature
Multi-Temperature Zone Customization: Adapting to Storage Needs of Different Goods
Combined with the storage characteristics of different goods, we divide the cold storage into three core temperature zones (the CO₂ refrigeration system can cover the full range of medium and low temperatures, adapting to conventional and some low-temperature storage needs). Each temperature zone is equipped with polyurethane insulation panels of exclusive specifications to ensure stable and precise storage temperature, maximize the shelf life of goods, guarantee product quality, and meet the actual storage scenarios of the industry:
Standard Freezing Storage (-18℃~-25℃)
• [Applicable Goods]
This is the most widely used temperature zone, mainly used for storing meat, quick-frozen pasta, seafood, frozen prepared food, etc. Among them, the maximum shelf life of meat can reach 12-24 months, and that of seafood can reach 9-12 months. The energy consumption benchmark is ≤ 0.8 kWh/m³·day (a conventional benchmark value for medium-sized cold storage in the industry; it is slightly higher for small cold storage due to the high heat load ratio and slightly lower for large cold storage due to the scale effect). The CO₂ refrigeration system can further reduce energy consumption by 5%~10%, which is in line with the industry's energy-saving requirements.
• [Specifications of Polyurethane Insulation Panels]
Adopt 150mm~200mm thick polyurethane insulation panels (the lower the storage temperature, the thicker the panel required). The closed-cell rate is ≥ 90%, and the thermal conductivity is ≤ 0.024W/(m·K). The panels have passed the -30℃ low-temperature test without deformation or cracking, which can effectively maintain the stability of the storage temperature, reduce cold loss, and possess good sound insulation and moisture resistance to prevent goods from dampness and odor, meeting the actual operational needs of freezing storage.
Refrigerated Storage (Divided into Low-Temperature Refrigeration and High-Temperature Refrigeration)
• Low-Temperature Refrigeration (-2℃~+4℃)
Suitable for chilled meat, pasteurized milk, pharmaceutical reagents (2~8℃, which need to be stored in independent storage units), etc. The humidity is controlled at 85%~95% RH to prevent goods from dehydration and deterioration; the storage of pharmaceutical reagents requires an additional uninterrupted temperature and humidity monitoring and backup system. The CO₂ refrigeration system can achieve precise temperature control within the temperature zone, meeting the compliant storage requirements of the pharmaceutical industry.
[Specifications of Polyurethane Insulation Panels]: Adopt 120mm~150mm thick polyurethane insulation panels with a closed-cell rate ≥ 90% and a thermal conductivity ≤ 0.024W/(m·K). It has excellent moisture resistance, which can effectively avoid condensation inside the storage and ensure that the goods storage environment meets the standards, satisfying the needs of low-temperature refrigeration scenarios.
• High-Temperature Refrigeration (+5℃~+12℃)
Suitable for tropical fruits (such as bananas at 11℃~13℃, mangoes at 8℃~10℃), chocolate (10±1℃), red wine (11℃~13℃), etc. It is necessary to accurately control temperature and humidity to prevent goods from rotting, deteriorating, or changing taste; red wine storage requires additional vibration isolation and light-proof treatment, and fruit storage needs to be equipped with a ventilation system to inhibit ethylene accumulation. The CO₂ refrigeration system can achieve linked control of temperature and humidity, reducing the impact of temperature fluctuations on goods.
[Specifications of Polyurethane Insulation Panels]: Adopt 75mm~100mm thick polyurethane insulation panels with a closed-cell rate ≥ 88% and a thermal conductivity ≤ 0.025W/(m·K). It is lightweight and easy to install, with good thermal insulation performance, which can accurately maintain the stability of the storage temperature and reduce energy consumption, adapting to the operational needs of high-temperature refrigeration scenarios.
Special Temperature Zone Storage (Controlled Atmosphere Storage, Constant Temperature and Humidity Storage, Buffer Room)
• Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage (-1℃~+15℃, adjusted according to products)
Suitable for storing fruits and vegetables such as apples and blueberries. The shelf life of fruits and vegetables can be extended by adjusting the O₂ and CO₂ concentrations inside the storage (for example, the O₂ concentration for apples is 1.5%~2%, and the CO₂ concentration is 1%~3). It should be noted that the CO₂ concentration in the storage environment must be distinguished from the CO₂ refrigerant to avoid fruit and vegetable damage caused by excessive concentration; it is equipped with 100mm~150mm thick polyurethane insulation panels to ensure the stability of storage temperature and gas concentration; the controlled atmosphere storage needs to be linked with the CO₂ refrigeration system to reduce the impact of gas concentration fluctuations on the refrigeration effect through precise temperature control, and avoid condensation inside the storage from damaging fruits and vegetables, meeting the actual needs of the fruit and vegetable preservation industry.
• Constant Temperature and Humidity (CTH) Storage (temperature accuracy ±0.5℃, humidity accuracy ±3% RH)
Suitable for film archives, Chinese medicinal materials, precision instruments, etc. It adopts 100mm~120mm thick polyurethane insulation panels, combined with a dedicated temperature and humidity control system to ensure that the storage environment meets the standards accurately, in line with the actual requirements of precision storage scenarios.
• Corridor Buffer Room (freezing storage anteroom at -5℃~0℃, refrigerated storage anteroom at +8℃~+12℃)
Used to reduce cold loss when opening doors, saving 15%~30% of energy. It adopts 100mm thick polyurethane insulation panels to adapt to the temperature fluctuation needs of the buffer room, avoid energy increase caused by cold loss, and comply with the energy-saving specifications for cold storage operation.
Summary of Overall Advantages
Our company's CO₂ refrigerant cold storage takes CO₂ high-efficiency and environmentally friendly natural refrigerant as the core, with the advantages of environmental protection, high efficiency, safety, and economy, complying with the national green cold chain development orientation and the actual needs of the refrigeration industry; the multi-temperature zone design combined with suitable polyurethane insulation panels meets the storage needs of various goods and guarantees product quality; the integration of the intelligent monitoring platform and the AI intelligent defrosting system solves the pain points of traditional cold storage management and realizes management upgrading and energy saving and consumption reduction; the full-process customized services accurately adapt to the personalized needs of different customers and are widely used in food processing, cold chain logistics, medical storage, fresh e-commerce, commercial cold chain, scientific research, and other fields, providing customers with safe, efficient, and worry-free medium and low-temperature storage solutions that align with the development trend of the refrigeration industry and the actual operational needs of customers.