Life of perishable goods extended

10th April 2015

Global container refrigeration machinery supplier Daikin Reefer last month launched its new Active CA device – a fast-working, simple and highly reliable unit that creates a controlled atmosphere (CA) inside refrigerated con- tainers transporting perishable goods. CA slows down the ageing process that food and other sensitive perishable products undergo during transit, allowing for them to be transported in a better condition for longer periods of time, which helps extend shelf life.

The Daikin Active CA system is based on vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA), an active atmosphere separation technology that is able to create the optimal controlled atmosphere very quickly. VPSA uses the mineral adsorbent zeolite to capture a large quantity of nitrogen from the air and transfer it into the reefer container, allowing for oxygen levels to be quickly reduced by dilution, without the need for additional gas.

During transit, the Active CA system continuously controls the air composition inside a reefer container. Daikin’s new technology uses cargo respiration to maintain the container’s carbon dioxide level, alongside an automatic ventilation control, making the unit simple and economical to run.

Daikin has used proven technology to ensure a high level of reliability. The design of the unit’s oxygen-conserving LiteTEC-5X component was adapted from Daikin’s oxygen concentrator, developed for use in the medical industry – a sector that requires high levels of reliability from all equipment. In addition to being designed for ease and speed of installation on refrigerated container units, the Active CA system has also been designed to be as compact as possible.

Daikin has already supplied an international shipping line with 50 of the new Active CA machines. The units have been fitted on customer’s reefer containers since the end of February.