March, 1928] 



Electric Dairy Cold Storage 



15 



total farm load in 1926; while more current was used for this purpose 

 in 1927, the percent drops slightly to 10.3% due to the increase in the 

 total used. 



Total Annual Costs. The current consumption, cost of electricity and 

 annual total cost including the annual fixed charges, are given in 

 Table 4. 



Table 4 — Current Consvmplion, Operating and Annual Total Costs 



EFFICIENCY OF OPERATION 



Temperature Readings. Table 5 gives the average temperatures and 

 their difference for each month in the cold room and for the outside 

 air. Complete temperature readings were not attempted except on 

 Farm No. 4 but were made for short periods through the year. While 

 these partial readings are not conclusive, they give indications of what 

 the quality of operation has been. Maximum and minimum readings 

 are also given. 



A test of temperature on a particularly hot daj^ in 1927 on Farm No. 

 2 showed the following: in the sun — 102-104°; in the shade 90°; barn 

 walls 80V>°; cold storage room, midpoint in its height 50°. Lower 

 temperatures were maintained in 1927 than for previous years due 

 to the improved insulation. 



The advantageous location of the room in the basement on Farm 

 No. 1 is to a certain extent counteracted by the warm steam-laden 

 atmosphere every morning in the adjoining daiiy room, and the unin- 

 sulated concrete floor in the room itself which is the cause of continual 

 loss of cold as well as the admission of soil moisture. That the equip- 

 ment has had to contend with moist air has been evident from the fre- 

 c^uent necessity of defrosting the brine tank — as often as every twelve 

 days. This points out the importance of locating the equipment at a 

 point which has good dry air conditions. Possibly no other factor re- 

 duces the efficiency so much as frequent and heavy coatings of frost on 

 the tank which result from moist surrounding air. 



A test of temperature conditions around this storage was made on a 

 day when the outdoor temperature was 97° in the shade. In the dairy 

 room, while bottles were being washed, it was 86°. After the washing 

 was over, it dropped to 74°. In an adjoining cellar room it was 72°. 



