Portable and Mobile Forced-Air Evaporative
Cooling Chambers
Off-grid pre-cooling of fruits and vegetables - on farms and on the road
CoolVeg developed the new forced-air evaporative cooling chambers, supported by the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund, and deployed with our partners Artisana in India and ColdHubs in Nigeria. ​Design documentation and a research report from this project are available below.
Features of forced-air evaporative cooling chambers
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Provides the greatest value in hot and dry climates
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Ideal for fruits and vegetables that store well in high humidity environments
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Forced airflow is ideal for rapid pre-cooling
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Lower energy consumption and half the cost of refrigerated cold rooms
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Can be powered by off-grid solar energy systems
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Portable chambers can be carried by several people and transported on a small truck
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Mobile chambers can be mounted in a trailer, mini-truck, or cargo tricycle
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Extending Vegetable Shelf-Life
The shelf-life of most vegetables was extended by 4 or more days, lasting up to three times longer in the chamber than when stored outside the chamber in the shade.
​The images below are from experiments using a portable forced-air evaporative cooling chamber in Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria.
Red onions performed exceptionally well, with the shelf-life increasing from 14 days outside the chamber to more than 100 days in the chamber.
Research report
CoolVeg produced a report based on the work done in collaboration with Efficiency for Access, ColdHubs, and Artisana in 2025 portable and mobile forced-air evaporative cooling chambers
This report covers:
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The chamber design
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Thermal and shelf-life performance testing
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User research and economic analysis​
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The potential for commercial deployment
Components of the Airflow System
The diagram below is a cut-away schematic of a portable forced-air evaporative cooling chamber. The key components of the chamber's airflow system are labeled.
