INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
PROJECT PROJECT
In stark contrast, state-of-the-art ripening rooms are designed to guarantee uniformity. This means every banana within a specific batch achieves the same desirable colour and ripeness, irrespective of its position on a pallet – whether at the front, middle, back, top or bottom.
The cornerstone of this consistency lies in meticulously engineered and forcefully delivered airflow. This seemingly straightforward concept is, in fact, critical. The packaging of the bananas also plays an integral role; boxes feature specially designed perforations that align perfectly when stacked on pallets. This alignment creates a powerful and uniform atmosphere throughout the entire ripening room. The intensity of the top-down airflow is so significant that, unlike conventional systems, one can distinctly feel the air emanating from within a box even when positioned midway through a stacked pallet. This integrated design, combining robust forced airflow with precisely perforated boxes, ensures an even and effective distribution of the crucial ripening atmosphere.
The specialised knowledge of Riaan van der Merwe, owner of BRS, a refrigeration expert with extensive experience in the banana industry, was pivotal in achieving this precise airflow management. Van der Merwe’ s deep understanding of air changes and airflow dynamics, stemming from his involvement with the Banana Board in the 1970s and 80s, was invaluable. Instead of relying on standard recommendations, he specified particular coils with stainless steel components and insisted on using AMS fan motors with a defined output and airflow specification. This necessitated a redesign of a custom coil to precisely match the airflow characteristics of the specified AMS fans and the required cooling capacity.
January / February 2026 COLD LINK AFRICA
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