Controlled Atmosphere Storage Design

Calculates gas management requirements including CO2 production, O2 consumption, leakage losses, air bleed flow for replenishment, and initial nitrogen purge requirements for horticultural storage.

📖 Need the theory? Read the methodology, assumptions, and equations in the full reference guide.

Read Controlled Atmosphere Storage Design Guide →

1. Define Input Parameters

Room Volume (V)[m^3]

Commodity Mass (m_prod)[kg]

Target O2 Concentration (x_O2)[%]

Target CO2 Concentration (x_CO2)[%]

Specific Respiration Rate (R_resp)[mg CO2/(kg*h)]

Leakage Rate (ACH)[1/h]

Purge Time (t_purge)[h]

Initial O2 Concentration (C_O2_init)[%]

Molar Mass CO2 (M_CO2)[g/mol]

Molar Mass O2 (M_O2)[g/mol]

Molar Mass N2 (M_N2)[g/mol]

Air Density (rho_air)[kg/m^3]

O2 Mass Fraction in Air (y_O2_air)[fraction]

Respiratory Quotient (RQ)[dimensionless]

2. Engineering Output

Total CO2 Production Rate (m_dot_CO2_resp)
- kg/h

O2 Consumption Rate (m_dot_O2_cons)
- kg/h

Volumetric Leakage Flow (Q_leak)
- m^3/h

Target N2 Concentration (x_N2)
- fraction

Average Molar Mass of Room Atmosphere (M_avg_room)
- g/mol

Mass Fraction of O2 in Room (y_O2_room)
- fraction

O2 Loss Due to Leakage (m_dot_O2_leak)
- kg/h

Required Air Bleed Flow (m_dot_air_bleed)
- kg/h

Required Scrubber Capacity (m_dot_scrubber)
- kg/h

Initial N2 Purge Flow (Q_N2_purge)
- m^3/h

Need this calculation offline?

Download Offline Excel Calculation

Context & Assumptions

Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage is a preservation technique that extends the shelf life of horticultural commodities by modulating oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations. This calculation framework allows engineers to size CO2 scrubbers, nitrogen generators, and air replenishment systems based on commodity respiration and room leakage. Maintaining these precise gas levels is essential to prevent anaerobic respiration and ensure long-term storage quality.

Legal Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability The results provided by this tool are for educational and preliminary estimation purposes only. NO WARRANTY: MyEngineeringTools.com makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy or applicability of these results to any specific engineering project. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: MyEngineeringTools.com SHALL NOT BE LIABLE for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of this data. All results MUST be independently verified by a qualified professional engineer before implementation in any industrial or physical environment.

Controlled Atmosphere Storage Design

1. Define Input Parameters

2. Engineering Output

Context & Assumptions

Understand the Engineering Principles

Looking for more tools?