Cold Room & Refrigeration Sizing Calculator
Engineering tool for cold storage heat load, evaporator, and compressor specification
Based on ASHRAE Fundamentals & Industrial Refrigeration StandardsCold Room Heat Load Calculator
Calculate the total refrigeration load for your cold storage facility. Select a preset or configure all parameters manually.
A. Room Dimensions & Insulation
B. Product Load
C. Infiltration Load
D. Miscellaneous Loads
E. Safety Factor
Calculation Results
Load Breakdown
Where: U = thermal transmittance (W/m²·K), A = surface area (m²), ΔT = T_ambient – T_storage (°C)
Recommended Compressor = Q_total × 1.15 [kW]
Evaporator (Unit Cooler) Sizing
Size evaporators based on the total cooling load. Capacity is automatically carried over from the Heat Load tab, or enter manually.
Evaporator Results
Where TD_standard is typically 8K or 10K per manufacturer datasheet
Hot gas defrost: ~3% capacity loss
Air defrost: ~8% capacity loss
Off-cycle: ~10% capacity loss
Common Cold Room Parameters
Standard design parameters for typical cold storage applications.
| Application | Temp (°C) | RH (%) | Insulation | Typical Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat Freezer | -18 to -22 | 90 | PU 150–200mm | 50–500 m² | Must maintain -18°C core temp |
| Dairy | 0 to 4 | 85–90 | PU 100mm | 20–200 m² | Separate from strong odors |
| Fruit & Veg | 0 to 8 | 85–95 | PU 100mm | 30–300 m² | Ethylene control needed |
| Blast Freezer | -35 to -40 | 90 | PU 200mm | 10–100 m² | High refrigeration rate |
| Pharmaceutical | 2 to 8 | 45–65 | PU 100mm | 10–50 m² | GDP compliance required |
| Beer / Beverage | 0 to 4 | 65–75 | PU 100mm | 20–200 m² | CO&sub2; ventilation needed |
| Ice Cream | -25 to -30 | — | PU 200mm | 20–150 m² | Consistent temp critical |
| Industrial | 5 to 10 | — | PU 100mm | 50–1000 m² | Varies by process |
Insulation U-Values
Thermal transmittance for common cold room insulation materials.
| Material | Thickness (mm) | U-value (W/m²·K) |
|---|---|---|
| PU Panel | 75 | 0.29 |
| PU Panel | 100 | 0.22 |
| PU Panel | 125 | 0.18 |
| PU Panel | 150 | 0.16 |
| PU Panel | 175 | 0.13 |
| PU Panel | 200 | 0.12 |
| EPS | 100 | 0.35 |
| EPS | 150 | 0.24 |
| XPS | 100 | 0.30 |
Product Thermal Properties
Specific heat and latent heat values for common cold-stored products (ASHRAE data).
| Product | Cp Above Freezing (kJ/kg·K) | Cp Below Freezing (kJ/kg·K) | Latent Heat Lf (kJ/kg) | Freezing Point (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef | 3.08 | 1.67 | 249 | -1.7 |
| Pork | 2.85 | 1.55 | 241 | -2.2 |
| Chicken | 3.31 | 1.76 | 247 | -2.8 |
| Fish | 3.60 | 1.86 | 276 | -2.0 |
| Milk | 3.93 | 1.95 | 281 | -0.5 |
| Cheese | 2.10 | 1.35 | 167 | -6.0 |
| Apple | 3.73 | 1.88 | 279 | -1.5 |
| Lettuce | 4.06 | 1.94 | 290 | -0.2 |
| Beer | 3.85 | 2.00 | 264 | -2.0 |
Watch: Cold Room: Why Pull-Down Time Changes Capacity
This example covers warm-product pull-down load only. Its numerical examples are not equipment ratings or a complete cold-room load calculation.
Illustrative procurement and selection guide; not product footage or performance test evidence. Confirm the final specification for your application.
Send product type and daily intake, entry and target temperatures, cooling time, room construction and door usage. Request a quotation: sales@hiqool.com
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