The Important Application of Gas Sensors in the Control of Atmosphere in the Storage of Fruits and Vegetables

According to the "2013-2017 China Cold Chain Logistics Industry Market Research and Investment Forecast Analysis Report", China's annual loss of fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products in the logistics sector such as picking, transportation, and storage is as high as 25% to 30%. Losses are a key factor in the high prices of many fruits and vegetables products. The concept of cold storage may be well-known, but I am afraid that there are not many people who know the name of the atmosphere-control library. Air-conditioned storage is actually an abbreviation for fresh-keeping storage of fresh agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables. It is one of the most commonly used, most effective, and most advanced storage and preservation technologies in the world. However, due to various reasons, while the development of the internationally controlled gas storage and storage warehouse has been on a scale, China has been stagnant. According to statistics, although China currently has more than 30,000 fresh produce abattoirs, only 5% to 7% of them use gas-conditioning technology; fresh agricultural products from developed countries account for 80% of the total reserves of edible agricultural products. Above, while our country is less than 2%.

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The so-called air-conditioning store, also known as air-conditioning storage, is based on refrigeration, increasing gas composition adjustment, through the control of temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, oxygen concentration and ethylene concentration conditions in the storage environment, inhibiting the respiration of fruits and vegetables, delay Its metabolic process, so as to better maintain the freshness and commerciality of fruits and vegetables, and extend the storage and preservation period of fruits and vegetables. Air-conditioned storage is usually twice as long as normal cold storage and the storage period is approximately 1 time; the fruits and vegetables stored in the air-conditioned storage room are “awakened” from the “dormant” state after exiting the store, which results in a fresh-keeping period after the storage of fruits and vegetables (stored shelf life). It can be extended from 21 to 28 days, which is 3 to 4 times that of ordinary cold storage. The airlock store can therefore extend its shelf life. First, it controls the water loss of fresh produce in particular. The ordinary cold storage relied only on the refrigeration system and could not solve the problem of water loss of such products, and it would not be possible to extend the shelf life. Compared with ordinary cold storage, although the revenue is large, the construction cost is relatively high. The high cost of the air-conditioning warehouse is, on the one hand, an additional set of air-conditioning equipment; on the other hand, it is the air-tight construction cost of the air-conditioning warehouse. Although the initial investment of the air-conditioning storehouse is relatively high, if the air-conditioning storehouse can be put into use after the construction is completed, it will bring enormous economic benefits in the long run. In particular, those fresh produce that specifically meet the conditions of storage of modified atmosphere, such as kiwi fruit, big cherries, etc., have high added value and anti-season agricultural products. It turns out that the high investment in exchange for fresh air conditioning must be a high market return, which is also One of the reasons for the popularity of the atmosphere-control library in Western countries.

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Ordinary cold storage into a modified atmosphere storage, only to solve the following two points can be achieved: First, increase the cold storage tightness. The modified atmosphere is to increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by increasing the carbon dioxide, nitrogen, etc. in the general cold storage. The gas storage warehouse requires a high degree of tightness to prevent the gas from leaking and the outdoor gas from entering. Second, increase air-conditioning equipment. The main equipments for climate change preservation are carbon dioxide production machines, nitrogen production machines, ethylene removal machines, and oxygen removal machines. After harvesting, fresh fruits and vegetables are a living, living organism. During the storage process, they are still carrying out normal metabolic activities led by respiration. They are shown to consume oxygen, release carbon dioxide, and release a certain amount of heat. Therefore, the concentration of O2 and CO2 in the controlled or adjusted storage environment can greatly increase the shelf life of certain fruits and vegetables. The design goal of the fluorescent oxygen sensor Lox-02 and CO2 sensor MINIR of British SST recommended by ISweek is to adjust the atmosphere environment of the atmosphere control library by accurately measuring the concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide, thereby prolonging the shelf life of perishable foods.

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Fluorescent Oxygen Sensor (O2 Sensor) LOX-02 Advantages :

Low power consumption; Can also measure O2% and atmospheric pressure (optional); Suitable for battery-powered; Long life; High precision; Small size, simplicity; Low cost; Maintenance-free; No toxic materials; Connect directly to the microcontroller No extra.

Fluorescent Oxygen Sensor (O2 Sensor) LOX-02 Application :

Oxygen Testing; Portable Devices; Ventilators; Inerting Chemicals; Medical Equipment; Laboratory Equipment; Agriculture; Incubation Equipment, Nursery Boxes; Fire Prevention; Boiler Condensate Exhaust Gas Detection, Plateau Oxygen Supply, Diffusion Oxygen Supply

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Infrared Carbon Dioxide Sensor / CO2 Sensor MINIR Features:

Ultra Low Power 3.5mW Measurement Range from 0 to 100% Supply Voltage 3.3v Peak Current Only 33mA 20mm Diameter Probe Package

Infrared Carbon Dioxide Sensor / CO2 Sensor MINIR Application:

Vegetables, fruit storage, chemicals, bacterial incubators, industrial, medical perishable agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, etc. Once they are picked, they will continue to produce metabolism. This means that the oxygen (O2) in the environment is constantly being consumed while generating heat, carbon dioxide (CO2), moisture, and the possibility of ethylene gas. The plant matures and eventually breaks down into a bad state. Therefore, in order to ensure the integrity of the product during transportation, the transportation and storage of perishable foods can be a challenge. When transporting perishable foods, four extremely important factors need to be considered - quality, temperature, relative humidity and gas concentration; quality - fruits and vegetables need to maintain a good initial quality; temperature - every 10 degrees Celsius reduction in metabolic rate will be reduced by half Relative Humidity - 2% loss of water is extremely detrimental to quality; control of the gas environment - reducing the oxygen concentration from 21% to 2% results in approximately a 30% reduction in metabolism.

The chart below illustrates the effect of adding an atmospheric control system.

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Where these factors are applied where appropriate, controlling and changing the environment can significantly prolong the shelf life of certain fruit and vegetable goods. Slowing their metabolic rate can delay the natural maturation of the product without affecting its flavor and mouthfeel. Therefore, during the storage of fruits and vegetables, atmosphere control has become the most critical part of the design of the air-conditioning library.

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