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Cold Storage Capacity Calculator

Work out cold storage capacity instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Cold Storage Capacity Calculator

Cold store capacity is chamber volume less the 25-35% taken by aisles, wall clearances and the air plenum, multiplied by packing density. Density depends on the commodity and pack — potatoes in bulk bins run 550-650 kg/m3, apples in crates 300-350, leafy vegetables far less.

Formula

Cold store capacity

Usable volume = floor area x stack height x (1 - aisle allowance); capacity (t) = usable volume x packing density / 1000

Worked example

With the default values below, Cold Storage Capacity Calculator returns Cold Store Capacity of 330.75. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Floor Areaminimum 1 m2
300 m2
Stacking Heightminimum 0.1 m
4.5 m
Packing Densityminimum 10 kg/m3
350 kg/m3
Aisle And Air Circulation Allowanceaccepts 0–70 %
30 %

Results

Cold Store Capacity
330.75
Gross Chamber Volume
1,350.00
Usable Stacking Volume
945.00
Floor Loading
1.102

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Cold store capacity
  3. 3Cold Store Capacity= 330.75
  4. 4Gross Chamber Volume= 1,350.00
  5. 5Usable Stacking Volume= 945.00
  6. 6Floor Loading= 1.102

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why must air clearance be preserved?

Refrigerated air has to reach every pallet. Blocking the plenum or stacking tight to walls creates warm pockets where produce ripens and rots while the rest of the chamber stays cold.

Does capacity change with the commodity?

Substantially. The same chamber may hold 2000 tonnes of potatoes or 600 tonnes of loosely packed cabbage. Always quote capacity for a named commodity and pack format.

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