Reference · 74 terms
Cold room & cold storage glossary
The terms you will meet in a cold room quotation, a DPR or a service report — defined in plain English by HyperCold engineers, with links to the guides that go deeper.
A
- AIF(Agriculture Infrastructure Fund)Finance & Subsidy
- The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) is a Government of India financing facility that gives interest subvention and credit guarantee support on bank term loans for post-harvest infrastructure such as cold storage and pack houses. It is not a capital subsidy; HyperCold's guides cite 3% interest subvention, but check current AIF guidelines.Read the guide
- Air curtain(Air door)Insulation & Construction
- An air curtain is a fan unit mounted above a doorway that blows a steady sheet of air down across the opening to separate cold room air from warm outside air while the door is open. It suits high-traffic loading doors, cutting infiltration heat load without obstructing movement.
- AMC(Annual maintenance contract)Finance & Subsidy
- An AMC (annual maintenance contract) is a yearly service agreement for preventive maintenance and breakdown support on cold room refrigeration and controls. A comprehensive AMC includes parts and typically costs 2.5–4% of capex a year, while a labour-only non-comprehensive AMC typically costs 1–1.5%.Read the guide
- Ammonia (R-717)(R-717, NH3, Anhydrous ammonia)Refrigeration
- Ammonia (R-717) is a natural refrigerant with zero global warming potential and high efficiency, used in large industrial cold stores, freezers and ice plants. It is toxic and flammable (safety class B2L), so plants need trained operators, gas detection and, in India, a PESO licence above specified quantities.Read the guide
- Ante room(Anteroom, Ante chamber, Anti-room)Insulation & Construction
- An ante room is a small insulated buffer chamber between the outside and a cold room or freezer, with doors used in sequence so warm and cold air never mix directly. It cuts heat load and door icing; HyperCold's configurator treats it as a +10°C to +15°C room with 80 mm panels.Read the guide
B
- Back-ended subsidy(Back-end subsidy)Finance & Subsidy
- A back-ended subsidy is released only after the project is built, commissioned and physically inspected, not at the start. The promoter first funds the full project cost through equity and a bank loan, and the subsidy is then credited to the term-loan account; NHB and MIDH cold storage assistance works this way.Read the guide
- Blast freezer(Blast freezing room)Storage & Post-harvest
- A blast freezer is a room or cabinet that freezes product quickly using high-velocity air at very low temperature, before the product moves to a holding freezer. Fast freezing forms small ice crystals that protect texture; HyperCold's configurator treats it as a −35°C to −40°C room with 150 mm panels.Read the guide
- BMS(Building management system)Controls & Monitoring
- A BMS (building management system) is a central control and monitoring platform that links the controllers, sensors, alarms and energy meters of a cold storage. In multi-chamber stores it gives one view of every room, with trend graphs, alarm escalation and reports for audits and energy management.
- BOQ(Bill of quantities)Finance & Subsidy
- A BOQ (bill of quantities) is an itemised list of every material, equipment item and service in a project with quantities, unit rates and totals — panels by square metre, doors, condensing units, evaporators, controls and installation. Banks and subsidy agencies use it to appraise cost, and buyers use it to compare quotes.
- BTU(British thermal unit, BTU/h)Refrigeration
- A BTU (British thermal unit) is an imperial unit of heat energy — the heat needed to warm one pound of water by 1°F — equal to about 1.055 kJ. Cooling capacity is often quoted in BTU per hour; 12,000 BTU/h equals 1 TR, or 3.517 kW.
C
- CA storage(Controlled atmosphere storage, CA cold room)Storage & Post-harvest
- Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage is cold storage in a gas-tight room where oxygen is lowered and carbon dioxide raised, alongside temperature and humidity control, to slow fruit respiration. For apples, oxygen is typically held at 1–3%, extending storage life to about 9–11 months.Read the guide
- CAM lock(Cam-lock joint, Eccentric hook lock)Insulation & Construction
- A cam lock is a locking device built into the edges of PUF panels that pulls adjacent panels tightly together when turned with a hex key. With a gasket at the joint, it keeps the insulation and vapour seal continuous, and lets the room be dismantled and relocated later.Read the guide
- CFT(Cubic feet, cu ft)Storage & Post-harvest
- CFT (cubic feet) is the volume unit Indian cold room vendors commonly use to describe internal room size and to price refrigeration. One cubic metre equals about 35.3 cubic feet, and storage capacity in MT is then estimated from CFT using the product's packing density.
- Chiller room(Chilled cold room, Walk-in chiller)Storage & Post-harvest
- A chiller room is a cold room held above freezing, typically 0°C to +8°C, for dairy, beverages, fruit, vegetables and general food. HyperCold's configurator uses 100 mm PPGL PUF panels and medium-temperature Daikin refrigeration for this band.Read the guide
- Chilling injuryStorage & Post-harvest
- Chilling injury is damage to tropical and subtropical produce held below its safe temperature but above freezing, showing as skin browning, pitting, failure to ripen or rot. Green banana is injured below about 12°C, and green tomato and cucumber below about 10°C.
- Condensing unit(ODU, Outdoor unit)Refrigeration
- A condensing unit is the outdoor half of a split refrigeration system, combining the compressor, air-cooled condenser coil, fans and controls in one casing. It rejects the heat removed from the cold room to outside air and is matched to an indoor evaporator; HyperCold quotes Daikin condensing units.
- COP / EER(Coefficient of performance, Energy efficiency ratio)Refrigeration
- COP (coefficient of performance) is cooling output divided by electrical input in the same units, so a COP of 3 gives 3 kW of cooling per 1 kW of power. EER expresses the same ratio as BTU/h per watt, about 3.41 × COP. Both fall as room temperature drops or ambient rises.
- Credit-linked subsidyFinance & Subsidy
- A credit-linked subsidy is available only if the project is part-financed by a term loan from an eligible bank or financial institution. The bank appraises and sanctions the loan first, and the subsidy is routed through, and usually adjusted against, that loan; MIDH, NHB, AIF and PMFME support is credit-linked.Read the guide
D
- Data logger(Temperature data logger, Datalogger)Controls & Monitoring
- A data logger is a battery-powered electronic device that records temperature, and often humidity, at set intervals for download or wireless upload. Calibrated loggers provide the temperature records auditors and buyers ask for, and are placed throughout a room during temperature mapping studies.
- Defrost(Electric defrost, Hot gas defrost, Defrost cycle)Refrigeration
- Defrost is the periodic melting of frost from an evaporator coil so that air can flow through it freely again. Electric defrost uses heaters in the coil and drain pan; hot gas defrost routes hot compressor discharge gas through the coil, clearing it faster with less added electricity but more piping and valves.
- DG set(Diesel generator, Genset, Backup power)Controls & Monitoring
- A DG set (diesel generator set) is standby power that keeps a cold room's refrigeration running during grid outages. It must be sized for compressor starting current as well as full running load, ideally with automatic changeover, because even a few hours without cooling can damage stored product.
- DPR(Detailed project report)Finance & Subsidy
- A DPR (detailed project report) is the bank- and subsidy-grade document setting out a project's technical design, capital cost, means of finance and financial viability. For cold storage it covers heat load, equipment BOQ, commodity plan and multi-year cash flows, and a subsidy-grade DPR typically runs 80–150 pages.Read the guide
E
- EEV(Electronic expansion valve)Refrigeration
- An EEV (electronic expansion valve) is a motorised valve, driven by a controller reading pressure and temperature sensors, that meters liquid refrigerant into the evaporator. It holds superheat more tightly than a thermostatic valve as load and ambient change, improving efficiency and temperature stability.
- Ethylene(C₂H₄, Ripening gas)Storage & Post-harvest
- Ethylene is a natural plant hormone gas that triggers and speeds ripening, softening and colour change in fruit and vegetables. It is dosed deliberately in ripening chambers, but must be kept away from ethylene-sensitive produce in storage using ventilation or ethylene scrubbers.
- Evaporator(Unit cooler, IDU, Indoor unit, Cooling coil)Refrigeration
- An evaporator, or unit cooler, is the finned coil and fan unit mounted inside a cold room, where liquid refrigerant boils and absorbs heat from the room air. Its capacity, fin spacing, air throw and defrost method are selected to suit the room temperature, humidity and product.
F
- FIFO(First in, first out)Storage & Post-harvest
- FIFO (first in, first out) is a stock-rotation rule in which the oldest stock leaves first, so no lot overstays its shelf life. Cold stores support it with lot labelling, rack layout and inventory records; FEFO (first expired, first out) is the variant used for medicines and dated foods.
- Fin spacing(Fin pitch, Fins per inch (FPI))Refrigeration
- Fin spacing is the gap between the thin aluminium fins of an evaporator or condenser coil, stated in millimetres or fins per inch. Freezer and blast freezer evaporators use wider spacing so frost does not bridge the fins and choke airflow between defrosts, while chiller coils can use closer spacing.
- Fire NOC(Fire no-objection certificate)Pharma & Compliance
- A fire NOC is the no-objection certificate from the state fire department confirming a building's fire-safety provisions — hydrants, detection, extinguishers, exits and emergency lighting. A commercial cold storage needs it before operation, and the fire classification of its insulation panels affects what the department requires.Read the guide
- Freezer room(Frozen storage room, Cold room freezer)Storage & Post-harvest
- A freezer room is a cold room that holds already-frozen product, typically at −18°C to −22°C, for frozen food, meat, seafood and ice cream. It needs thicker panels, an insulated floor, low-temperature refrigeration and heated door frames; HyperCold's configurator specifies 120 mm PUF panels for this band.Read the guide
- Frost heave(Floor heaving)Insulation & Construction
- Frost heave is the upward lifting and cracking of a freezer floor caused when moisture in the ground below freezes into expanding ice lenses. It develops slowly under rooms held below 0°C, and is prevented with sub-floor insulation, a vapour barrier and under-floor heating or ventilation.
- FSSAI licence(FSSAI license, FSSAI registration, Food business licence)Pharma & Compliance
- An FSSAI licence is the food business licence or registration issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, required for any cold storage that handles food, including rental-only operators. Basic registration, a State licence or a Central licence applies depending on turnover and scale; check current FSSAI thresholds.Read the guide
G
- GDP(Good distribution practice)Pharma & Compliance
- Good distribution practice (GDP) is the quality framework for storing and transporting medicines so their quality is maintained throughout the supply chain. For cold chain it covers qualified storage, continuous temperature monitoring, calibrated equipment, alarms, deviation handling, staff training and traceable records.
- GWP(Global warming potential)Refrigeration
- GWP (global warming potential) compares a refrigerant's climate impact with carbon dioxide over 100 years, with CO₂ set at 1. Under the Kigali Amendment India is phasing down high-GWP HFCs, so lower-GWP options such as R-32, R-449A, ammonia and CO₂ are preferred for new cold rooms.Read the guide
H
- Heat load(Cooling load, Refrigeration load)Refrigeration
- Heat load is the total heat a cold room's refrigeration must remove, usually per 24 hours, to hold its set temperature. It adds transmission through walls, roof and floor, air infiltration through doors, product and respiration heat, and internal loads from lights, fans, people and defrost, plus a safety factor.Read the guide
- HMI(Human-machine interface, Touchscreen controller)Controls & Monitoring
- An HMI (human-machine interface) is the touchscreen or display panel through which operators view and adjust a cold room's set points, alarms, defrost schedules and trend graphs. HyperCold's premium control option is a digital HMI with IoT connectivity for remote monitoring.
I
- IoT monitoring(Remote monitoring, Cloud temperature monitoring)Controls & Monitoring
- IoT monitoring connects cold room sensors and controllers to the internet so temperature, humidity, door status and equipment alarms can be viewed and logged remotely on a phone or dashboard. It sends SMS, app or email alerts when readings leave limits, enabling faster response and continuous records.
- IPA(In-principle approval)Finance & Subsidy
- In-principle approval (IPA) is a subsidy scheme's preliminary sanction for a project, given after bank appraisal and before construction starts. Under the NHB scheme, starting construction before IPA is a leading cause of rejection, because work begun earlier is not approved retroactively.Read the guide
- IQ/OQ/PQ(Installation qualification, Operational qualification, Performance qualification)Pharma & Compliance
- IQ, OQ and PQ are the three stages of equipment qualification: installation qualification checks the system was installed to specification, operational qualification tests it across its operating range, and performance qualification proves it holds required conditions under real load. Together they validate pharma cold rooms.Read the guide
- IQF(Individual quick freezing, Individually quick frozen)Storage & Post-harvest
- IQF (individual quick freezing) freezes small pieces — peas, sweet corn, shrimp, berries — separately and rapidly, usually on a conveyor or fluidised bed inside a tunnel of very cold, fast-moving air. The pieces stay free-flowing instead of freezing into a block, and hold their quality better.Read the guide
K
- K-value(Thermal conductivity, Lambda value)Insulation & Construction
- K-value, or thermal conductivity, measures how easily heat passes through a material, in W/m·K, regardless of thickness; lower is better. Good cold room PUF foam is about 0.022 W/m·K, and dividing the K-value by panel thickness in metres gives the panel's approximate U-value.Read the guide
M
- MIDH(Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture)Finance & Subsidy
- MIDH (Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture) is the central horticulture scheme, run through State Horticulture Missions, that gives credit-linked, back-ended assistance for cold storage, pack houses, ripening chambers and reefer vans. The percentage varies by applicant and location category; check current scheme guidelines.Read the guide
- MoFPI(Ministry of Food Processing Industries)Finance & Subsidy
- MoFPI is the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the Government of India ministry that runs PMKSY, including its Integrated Cold Chain scheme, and the PMFME scheme for micro food processing units. It invites project proposals through Expression of Interest windows announced on its portal.Read the guide
- MT capacity(Metric tonne capacity, Storage capacity)Storage & Post-harvest
- MT capacity is a cold store's rated holding capacity in metric tonnes of product. It depends on room volume, the commodity's bulk density, packaging, stacking height and aisle space, so the same room holds different tonnages of loose potatoes, crated fruit or frozen cartons.
N
- N+1 redundancy(N+1, Standby refrigeration)Refrigeration
- N+1 redundancy means installing one more refrigeration unit or circuit than the heat load needs, so the room still holds temperature if any single unit fails or is under service. It is mandatory practice for pharma cold rooms and recommended for dairy, seed and other high-value stock.Read the guide
- NHB(National Horticulture Board)Finance & Subsidy
- NHB (National Horticulture Board) is the Ministry of Agriculture body that runs a credit-linked, back-ended capital subsidy scheme for horticulture cold storage and CA storage projects. HyperCold's guides cite 35% of eligible cost in general areas and 50% in NE and hilly areas; check current NHB guidelines.Read the guide
P
- PIR panel(Polyisocyanurate panel, PIR sandwich panel)Insulation & Construction
- A PIR panel is a sandwich panel with a polyisocyanurate foam core, chemically related to PUF but more highly cross-linked. It gives better fire performance, lower smoke and slightly better insulation than PUF at a higher price, so it is chosen for pharma, freezer and fire-sensitive buildings.Read the guide
- PMFME(PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises, PM FME)Finance & Subsidy
- PMFME (PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises) is a MoFPI scheme giving credit-linked subsidy to micro food processing units, SHGs, FPOs and cooperatives. A small cold room qualifies only as part of a processing activity, not as standalone storage; check current scheme terms.Read the guide
- PMKSY(Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana, MoFPI Integrated Cold Chain scheme)Finance & Subsidy
- PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana) is MoFPI's umbrella food processing scheme; its Integrated Cold Chain component gives grant-in-aid to projects covering several cold chain stages, such as pre-cooling, storage, freezing and reefer transport. A standalone cold storage usually does not qualify; check current MoFPI guidelines.Read the guide
- Pollution NOC(Consent to Establish (CTE), Consent to Operate (CTO), PCB consent)Pharma & Compliance
- A pollution NOC is the two-stage consent from a State Pollution Control Board: Consent to Establish before construction and Consent to Operate after commissioning, renewed periodically. Most states place cold storage in the lower-impact Green category, though ammonia plants may be classed Orange; check your state's current list.Read the guide
- PPGL(Pre-painted galvalume, PPGL sheet)Insulation & Construction
- PPGL is pre-painted galvalume steel — sheet coated with an aluminium-zinc alloy and a factory paint finish — used as the inner and outer skin of cold room panels. It resists corrosion better than PPGI (pre-painted galvanised iron), so it suits coastal and humid sites; HyperCold panels use PPGL skins.Read the guide
- Pre-cooling(Precooling, Field heat removal)Storage & Post-harvest
- Pre-cooling is the rapid removal of field heat from freshly harvested produce, ideally within hours of picking, before storage or transport. Forced-air cooling, hydro-cooling and dedicated pre-cooling rooms are common methods; delays shorten shelf life, especially for soft fruit such as strawberry.
- Pressure relief port(Pressure relief valve, Pressure equalisation valve)Insulation & Construction
- A pressure relief port is a small heated vent in a freezer or blast freezer wall that equalises air pressure between inside and outside. Without it, air cooling rapidly after a door closes creates a vacuum that makes doors hard to open and can bow or damage panels.
- PUF panel(Polyurethane foam panel, PU panel, Sandwich panel)Insulation & Construction
- A PUF panel is a prefabricated sandwich panel with a rigid polyurethane foam core bonded between two metal skins, used for cold room walls and ceilings. HyperCold uses PPGL-skinned PUF panels with 40 kg/m³ foam in 60, 80, 100, 120 and 150 mm thicknesses, chosen by room temperature.Read the guide
- Pull-down(Pull-down time)Refrigeration
- Pull-down is bringing a cold room, or a fresh load of product, from its starting temperature down to the set point, and also the time that takes. It depends on refrigeration capacity versus heat load, and fast pull-down matters most for freshly harvested produce and product entering freezers.
R
- R-290(Propane, HC-290)Refrigeration
- R-290 is refrigerant-grade propane, a natural hydrocarbon refrigerant with a global warming potential of about 3 and good efficiency. It is highly flammable (safety class A3), so charge sizes are restricted and it is used mainly in small self-contained units such as display cabinets and plug-in coolers.
- R-32(HFC-32, Difluoromethane)Refrigeration
- R-32 (difluoromethane) is a single-component HFC refrigerant with a global warming potential of 675, about one-third that of R-410A. It is mildly flammable (safety class A2L) and efficient, and is increasingly used in medium-temperature condensing units for chillers and commercial cold rooms.Read the guide
- R-404A(HFC-404A)Refrigeration
- R-404A is an HFC refrigerant blend long used for low- and medium-temperature commercial refrigeration such as freezers. Its very high global warming potential, about 3,900, makes it a phase-down target, and lower-GWP blends such as R-449A are its common replacements.
- R-449ARefrigeration
- R-449A is an HFC/HFO refrigerant blend developed as a lower-GWP replacement for R-404A and R-22 in commercial refrigeration. With a global warming potential of about 1,400, roughly one-third of R-404A's, it is widely used in low-temperature cold rooms and freezers and for retrofits.
- Relative humidity(RH)Storage & Post-harvest
- Relative humidity (RH) is the water vapour in air as a percentage of the maximum it can hold at that temperature. Most fresh fruit and vegetables store best at high RH, often 90–95%, to limit weight loss and shrivelling, while onion and garlic need low RH of about 65–75%.Read the guide
- Respiration heat(Heat of respiration, Vital heat)Storage & Post-harvest
- Respiration heat is the heat living fruit, vegetables and mushrooms give off as they keep respiring after harvest. It rises steeply with temperature and varies widely by commodity, and it must be added to the cold room heat load alongside the field heat removed during pull-down.
- Ripening chamber(Ripening room, Banana ripening chamber)Storage & Post-harvest
- A ripening chamber is an airtight insulated room where fruit such as banana, mango and papaya is ripened evenly using controlled temperature, humidity, air circulation and a measured dose of ethylene. For banana, ethylene is typically 100–150 ppm; HyperCold configures chambers at +14°C to +20°C.Read the guide
S
- Scroll compressorRefrigeration
- A scroll compressor compresses refrigerant between two interleaved spiral scrolls, one fixed and one orbiting. It is hermetically sealed, compact, quiet and efficient with few moving parts, and is the usual compressor in walk-in and commercial cold room condensing units.
- Semi-hermetic compressorRefrigeration
- A semi-hermetic compressor has its motor and compressor sealed inside a bolted, openable casing, so valves, bearings and the motor can be repaired on site instead of replacing the whole unit. It suits larger and low-temperature duties; HyperCold's rate card lists Daikin semi-hermetic units from 25 HP.
- Shelf life(Storage life)Storage & Post-harvest
- Shelf life is the period a product stays safe and marketable under stated storage conditions. For fresh produce it depends mainly on temperature, humidity and atmosphere, so Royal Delicious apples keep about 4–6 months in normal cold storage but 9–11 months in CA storage.Read the guide
- Strip curtain(PVC strip curtain, Strip door)Insulation & Construction
- A strip curtain is a row of overlapping flexible PVC strips hung across a cold room doorway. People and trolleys pass through it, but it limits warm-air infiltration whenever the door stands open, making it one of the cheapest ways to cut door heat load.
T
- Temperature mapping(Thermal mapping, Mapping study)Pharma & Compliance
- Temperature mapping is a documented study that places calibrated data loggers throughout an empty and a loaded cold room to record how temperature varies by position and over time. It locates hot and cold spots and is required to qualify pharma storage; HyperCold's pharma guide specifies 9–15 loggers over at least 72 hours.Read the guide
- Thermal bridge(Cold bridge)Insulation & Construction
- A thermal bridge is a path through or around insulation — a steel member, bolt, unsealed panel joint or uninsulated floor edge — that conducts heat much faster than the surrounding panel. It adds heat load and usually shows up as condensation, frost or ice at that spot.
- TR(Ton of refrigeration, Refrigeration ton, RT)Refrigeration
- A ton of refrigeration (TR) is a unit of cooling capacity equal to 3.517 kW, or 12,000 BTU per hour — the heat absorbed by melting one short ton of ice in 24 hours. Cold room refrigeration in India is commonly sized and quoted in TR.
- TXV(Thermostatic expansion valve, TEV)Refrigeration
- A TXV (thermostatic expansion valve) is a mechanical valve that meters liquid refrigerant into the evaporator, using a sensing bulb on the suction line to hold a steady superheat. It is simple, needs no power and is reliable, but reacts more slowly to changing loads than an electronic expansion valve.
U
- U-value(Thermal transmittance, Overall heat transfer coefficient)Insulation & Construction
- U-value is the heat flow through one square metre of wall, roof or floor for each degree of temperature difference across it, in W/m²·K; lower means better insulation. A 100 mm PUF panel with foam of 0.022 W/m·K has a U-value of about 0.22 W/m²·K.Read the guide
- ULO(Ultra-low oxygen storage, ULO CA)Storage & Post-harvest
- ULO (ultra-low oxygen) storage is a stricter form of controlled atmosphere storage that holds oxygen lower than standard CA, typically below about 1.5%, to slow ripening further in apples and pears. It needs a very gas-tight room and precise gas analysis, because too little oxygen causes fermentation damage.
- Under-floor heating(Floor heating, Sub-floor heating)Insulation & Construction
- Under-floor heating is a low-output heating system beneath a freezer's floor insulation — electric cables, warm-glycol pipes or ventilated ducts — that keeps the ground below above 0°C. It is the usual protection against frost heave in large freezer and blast freezer rooms built on grade.
V
- Vapour barrier(Vapour retarder, Vapour seal)Insulation & Construction
- A vapour barrier is an impermeable layer on the warm side of insulation that stops moist air diffusing into it. In cold rooms the metal panel skins, sealed joints and sealed penetrations do this job, and any gap lets moisture condense or freeze inside the foam and ruin its insulation.Read the guide
W
- WHO TRS 961(WHO TRS 961 Annex 9)Pharma & Compliance
- WHO TRS 961 Annex 9 is the World Health Organization's model guidance for storing and transporting time- and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products. It is a key reference for pharma cold room design, temperature mapping and monitoring in India, used alongside CDSCO guidelines and Schedule M.Read the guide
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