Storage as a Dutch Specialty

Although most potatoes are stored for long periods, storemanagers are searching for guarantees in keeping a high quality. Prevention of weight loss, germination and discoloration during processing, succeeds by strictly controlled climatic conditions in the storage. In the last 25 years, Omnivent developed itself from Dutch fan supplier to worldwide storage specialist. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Omnivent offices are stationed in Poland, Latin America, China and India.

The company is represented in 45 countries, where it is developing storageplants for local farmers and potato processing multinationals. With in company Research & Development, Omnivent distinguishes itself by finding constantly new ways to improve storagemanagement. Two of these innovations are the Omnipad and Thermera cooling.

Cooling with ‘sugar beet juice’
Agricultural and industrial cooling systems generally uses the refrigerant R22. A product which is forbidden to use after the year 2015 because of it’s harmful HCFCs. This way, farmers are forced to adapt their cooling installations or to find a suitable solution. Although ammonia is considered to be an alternative, this fluid brings great risks when it comes to food safety. Natural beet juice brings the solution. Omnivent, leader in natural cooling for the agricultural market, developed in co-operation with it’s partners, the Thermera refrigeration. An environmental friendly and food save cooling. Thermera is based on Betaine, a residual in the production of sugar. The absence of hazardous substances is of great value to the foodsector which makes ‘sugar beet juice’ Thermera for cooling a good choice. Practice shows similar product properties of Thermera to other cooling fluids. In heat transfer and energy use, Omnivent even monitors better results.

• No ‘instore’ toxic refrigerant with a chiller outside the storage
• Only natural (foodsave) fluid used near food products
• Low maintenance
• Easy installation
• High efficiency

High efficient evaporation system
Because the need of longtime storage of potatoes, it is important to guarantee the quality of this product. Prevention of weight loss, sprouting and discoloration during storage, requires constantly controlled conditions in the storage. Temperature and humidity are both key factors in keeping a high quality potato. An efficient way to manage both is to provide the storage installation with a humidification system based on evaporation pads, like the Omnipad. By forcing hot dry air, through long moist pads, made of cellulose paper, the water in the pads evaporates and increases the humidity of the out coming ventilation air. Because the pads are constantly kept wet with cool water, the system provides a direct cooling of the entering air. Compared to more traditional humidification by atomising water directly into the storage, the evaporation pads prevents in dripping and direct water contact with the potatoes.

• Maximum humidification
• Direct cooling
• No water contact with stored potatoes
• Easy installation
• Low cost system
• High quality potatoes