Technology Details

Area of Technology:Agro & Food Processing

Title of the Innovation: Design of passive underground structure for storage of fresh food in high altitude

Brief About Innovation

High altitude regions like ladakh hold great strategic importance due to sharing of the border with neighbouring nations. As a result, the focus of military deployment is heavily concentrated in the regions. To fulfill the food and nutritional requirement of troops deployed in Ladakh, fresh vegetables & fruits are procured from local farmers and transported by air and road from other part of the country. Lot of fresh food is spoiled in sub zero temperature during winters due to lack of adequate storage facility. This results in heavy exchequer with deterioration in quality of the fresh food. Energy reuirement is the main concern to design, adequate storage facility in high altitude conditions. In order to cater this issue, DIHAR has developed the design of passive underground structure for storage of fresh vegetables and fruits that utilizes geothermal energy to maintain the adequate temperature inside the store when outside temperature goes upto -250 C. The required humidity is also regulated inside the structure according to the stored varieties of vegetables and fruits. On the basis of study on various quality ( physical and biochemical) parameters it has been observed that certain vegetables and fruit can be stored from November to March/April without compromising the quality. Designs of simulated structures of different capacity have also been extended from the existing structure. The design details along with structural drawings will be provided under the ToT.