How to design a commercial cold room?

Cold room design for commercial or industrial use must consider several factors:

Insulation:

• Insulated panels: polyurethane foam between two steel sheets. Thickness: 100-150 mm for positive cold room (0-4 °C), 150-200 mm for freezing (-18 to -25 °C)
• Thermal conductivity (R-value): minimum R-28 for positive room, R-40 for freezing
• Doors: self-closing, with frame heating (to prevent icing on freezer doors)

Thermal load sizing:

• Product load (cooling or freezing incoming merchandise)
• Transmission load (losses through walls, ceiling, floor)
• Infiltration load (door openings)
• Internal load (lighting, fan motors, people, forklifts)

Evaporator: Sized based on total thermal load. Safety factor of 15-20%. Defrost: air (for positive rooms), electric or hot gas (for freezers).

Condenser: Minimum distance between condenser and wall: 0.6 meters for good airflow. Maximum ambient temperature: 40 °C.

The design must comply with CSA B52 and the Quebec Construction Code.