The concept of CA rooms, or also called ULO chambers, is based on maintaining a controlled atmosphere in the chambers. The abbreviation CA comes from "Controlled Atmosphere" and the abbreviation ULO comes from "Ultra Low Oxygen", which in translation means an extremely low level of oxygen. The controlled atmosphere enables prolonged storage of fruits and vegetables. In order to achieve this, it is assumed that the chambers themselves are of high quality in terms of gas tightness, hermeticity and the use of specially designed elements (CA cooling doors, windows for monitoring and service, inlets for pipes and cables...).
Lowering the oxygen content slows down the respiration of the fruit and allows for a longer storage period. Nevertheless, a too low oxygen level leads to the so-called "suffocation" of the fruit, so it is necessary to provide adequate ventilation to ensure that the oxygen level in the cold storage does not fall too low.
During respiration, fruits and vegetables convert oxygen into carbon dioxide. If the CO2 level is too high, it can damage the fruit, so it is necessary to eliminate it.
Sometimes it takes more than three weeks to reach the phase of slow respiration of the fruit, during which time the fruit breathes normally, consuming a large amount of energy. That is why it is recommended to reduce the oxygen in the cold store in a faster and controlled way - by injecting nitrogen (N2).
As the quality of the equipment itself is crucial for the control of the atmosphere, we decided on the equipment of the leader in this field, the company Isolcell. Isolcell has been a pioneer in this field and a manufacturer of the highest quality equipment for over 60 years.
DCA - "Dynamic Control Atmosphere" is a system patented by the Isolcell company and is based on keeping fruit in a mode below 1% O2, which distinguishes it from the ULO way of keeping fruit. In this way, the period of fruit storage in a controlled atmosphere is extended even up to 12 months, while unwanted diseases on the fruit itself are prevented during the storage period. When it comes to Isolcell, its DCA technology is set apart by the fact that its work cannot be compromised due to the human factor, because once the chamber has been closed at the beginning of the season and the regime has been established, the entire system is monitored by software.
Eko Elektrofrigo has significant references in the design and execution of CA rooms, and we use our valuable experience to develop future projects. Be part of the business world of the future - become our business partner, because we are ready to respond to all your demands in terms of quality.
