Design of a Temperature Test Chamber for Fruit Study

In this work is presented the design of a climatecontrolled test chamber for fruit studies. This equipment is developed to analyze the effects of the real conditions of temperature to which the fruits are exposed from the moment they are harvested until they are stored in the conservation units. This study is restricted to cherries and blueberries, who in Chile they are grown from the IV to XI Regions’ (including the XIV’s and XVI’s). The temperature of these regions in the summer season varies between 10^° C and 35^° C. For this reason, equipment was designed to operate in a temperature range from 5^° C to 40^° C. The equipment must be able to adequately reproduce sudden changes in temperature (such as when fruit is moved from a sunny to a shady location). For controlling temperature of air flow, a vapor compression cooling device and an electric heater were employed, to cool and heat it respectively. Both transfer units were in separate ducts, and the air flow is directed by means of a diverting valve (specially designed for this equipment), which select if the flow pass through the cold unit or the heat unit, to be able to regulate the temperature of the air that recirculates between the interior of the chamber and the ducts. This paper includes simulation of distribution air studies were carried out inside the chamber, manipulating the diverter valve. These preliminary results have served as the basis for building a fruit testing chamber that could meet the operating requirements to study the effects of the temperature on fruits.