Central Kitchen Cold Storage Construction: Design and Installation Solutions for Large-Scale Central Kitchen Facilities. The central kitchen cold storage system represents an innovative cold storage model, essentially functioning as a meal preparation and distribution hub. Its primary mission involves centralized procurement of food ingredients, processing them into finished or semi-finished products, and then delivering these dishes to chain stores through full thermal chain, complete cold chain, or hybrid hot-cold chain distribution systems for secondary heating or combination before final customer delivery. Central kitchens require various supporting cold storage facilities, including sorting and pre-cooling warehouses, raw material storage units, clean vegetable processing areas, food freezing chambers, and fruit-vegetable preservation facilities.
The design and construction plans for central kitchen cold storage facilities vary significantly based on different food storage temperature requirements, such as refrigerated preservation, frozen storage, pre-cooling, fresh produce processing, and meat thawing. Different temperature conditions necessitate distinct cold storage configurations. To prevent injuries during manual operations in production workshops, practical designs include ceiling-mounted dual-side air supply units and corner guard beams with anti-collision features.
To accommodate diverse meal delivery models, central kitchen cold storage facilities require customized solutions. When handling full-heat chain distribution, full-cold chain logistics, or hybrid hot/cold chain systems, the facility must incorporate thermal storage and refrigeration (freezing) units tailored to specific needs. Temperature monitoring devices that ensure proper separation between raw and cooked food storage should be installed, with temperature control systems integrated throughout critical areas including cold storage zones and food processing operations.
1. Design scheme:
a. Cold storage capacity: Determine the size of the cold storage, including refrigeration and freezing areas, according to the scale of the central kitchen and food demand.
b. Temperature control: The cold storage can be divided into refrigeration area and freezing area. The refrigeration area is generally set between 0℃ and 8℃, and the freezing area is generally set between-18℃ and-20℃ to ensure that the food remains fresh and safe.
c. Air circulation: the design and installation of air circulation in the cold storage to ensure uniform cooling and preservation effect of food materials.
d. Selection of thermal insulation and heat insulation materials: Select materials with good thermal insulation and heat insulation performance to reduce temperature changes.
e. Environmental control system: Install advanced environmental control system, including temperature, humidity and air circulation monitoring and regulation.
2. Equipment selection:
a. Refrigeration equipment: according to the size and temperature requirements of the cold storage, select standard refrigeration equipment, such as cold air units, compressors, condensers, etc.
b. Control system: equipped with a reliable automatic control system to monitor and adjust the temperature, humidity and air circulation parameters in the cold storage.
C. Fire alarm and safety equipment: the cold storage shall be equipped with appropriate fire alarm system and safety equipment to ensure the safety of use.
3. Construction and installation:
a. Structure construction: the structure construction of the cold storage is carried out according to the design scheme, including walls, ceilings, floors, etc.
b. Equipment installation: install refrigeration equipment, air circulation equipment and control system to ensure the normal operation and stable performance of the equipment.
c. Use of insulation materials: Select qualified insulation and heat insulation materials for construction to reduce energy loss.
4. Operation and maintenance:
a. Normal operation: ensure that the temperature control, humidity control and air circulation of the cold storage are normal.
b. Regular maintenance: carry out regular maintenance and maintenance of cold storage equipment to ensure the reliability and working performance of the equipment.
c. Cleanliness: Regular cleaning and disinfection of cold storage to maintain the hygiene and safety of food materials.
Central kitchen cold storage solutions require customized designs based on actual needs, making it advisable to consult professional teams for guidance in design, construction, and equipment selection. A well-designed solution can enhance the efficiency of central kitchens while ensuring food safety and preserving ingredient freshness.
English