FORECOURT AND CONVENIENCE STORES
Cold air spillage in harsh retail environments
Ian Wood is managing director at Adande Refrigeration’s parent company, Applied Design & Engineering. Here, he shares his views on addressing issues relating to the chilled display of food in the forecourt and convenience retailing sectors.
C
onvenience and forecourt stores, especially those which were not purpose built for grocery retailing, are often harsh environments for the operation of refrigerated display cabinets.
The compact nature of convenience stores means that refrigerated displays are likely to be located close to the entrance door and with frequent door openings, especially in high footfall stores, considerable cross draughts can be experienced.
These draughts will compromise the fragile full height air curtains of conventional open front refrigerated displays cabinets, causing increased cold air spillage from the cabinet. This egress of chilled air will result in increased energy consumption, unstable and inaccurate food holding temperatures and a chilly, uncomfortable store environment. In smaller stores, lower ceiling heights can also exacerbate the impact of HVAC systems on the air curtains of conventional open front cabinets.
Employing disruptive technology
The fundamental flaw in the design of conventional open front cabinets is the single canopy-to-base air curtain, which is particularly susceptible to cross draughts, causing significant cold air spillage.
Our solution is Aircell, which works by dividing the refrigerated display case’s merchandising envelope into separate air flow managed cells with small, low pressure air columns.
Each cell has its own air curtain, which is more efficient than a full case height air curtain on a conventional multi
22 June 2018
deck case. The net result is less pressure on the inside of the air curtain of each cell and a substantial reduction in cold air spillage from the case.
Tighter temperature bandwidths
The reduction in the outflow of chilled air has implications for accurate and stable temperatures within the cabinet, with tighter temperature bandwidths having a positive impact on food quality, safety and shelf life.
In cabinets with a broad temperature range food displayed at the lower end of the temperature scale may be subject to ice crystal formation, which compromises the eating experience. If the display temperature is too high, food will deteriorate and there is potential for bacterial proliferation. Holding and displaying food at a narrow temperature bandwidth helps to maintain the quality and appearance of food over extended periods, improving the eating experience for the customer and reducing the amount of food which may be price discounted or thrown away.
During an in-store trial, cabinet air temperature within our prototype Aircell Crivat Grab & Go cabinet was measured to a bandwidth of 3°C, compared with an average range of 13°C in the store’s existing open front multi deck.
Reduced energy consumption
Significant energy savings are achieved by reducing cabinet cold air spillage. In conventional canopy-to-base air curtain models warm air is entrained and the refrigeration system has to work harder to maintain optimum cabinet temperature, increasing duty and energy consumption.
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