As the name suggests, with box storage the products are stored in large bins. The product is stacked up to about 6 boxes high. Box storage is a very flexible way to store agricultural products. It is a perfect system to separate all de different products, varieties, sizes and qualities. The standard European size for boxes is 1200 mm x 1600 mm x 1230 mm.

Direct pressure system

Direct pressure system with closed boxes is a direct system, what means that 100 % of the conditioned air is forced to pass the product. The pressure system for boxes is a relative expensive system because the use of (expensive) specially designed closed boxes and the system needs lots of space. This pressure system for closed boxes will mainly be used as a drying system for onions, garlic and flower bulbs. It is also used in areas with lot of rain during harvest.

Advantages:

• Quick drying
• Highly controllable product conditions

Disadvantages:

• Expensive because special boxes are needed
• A lot of space is needed

Direct aspiration system

The aspire system for open boxes is also a direct ventilation system. The air in the room is conditioned and then sucked through the boxes. All kinds of standard open boxes can be used for this system. It is quite a flexible system because product can be dried and conditioned in the same place with the same system.

Advantages

• Drying and conditioning of the product with same system
• Highly controllable product conditions

Disadvantages

• Sophisticated air plenum is needed

Indirect room ventilation system

With indirect room ventilation the room air will be conditioned and through natural convection the air will pass the product. The indirect room ventilation system for open boxes is the most flexible box system. It doesn’t matter in what way the boxes are placed in the room, different sizes of boxes can be used, even for short time different products can be stored in same room. Especially for daily fluctuating demand room ventilation system is very flexible. Wet product cannot be dried effectively with a room ventilation system, so products which have to be dried after harvest should be dried in an direct system before it will be put in the room ventilation storage.

Advantages

• Quite inexpensive system
• Very flexible system

Disadvantages

• Product cannot be dried
• Harder to control the product conditions