Thermal Storage vs Conventional Bulk Milk Coolers: Which Saves More Energy?
Across India, the dairy cold chain depends on bulk milk coolers to move milk from countless villages to processing plants. Yet, frequent power cuts and soaring fuel prices threaten milk quality at every step. This raises a crucial question: Can thermal storage-based BMCs outperform their conventional counterparts? Let’s find out.
Why Constant Milk Chilling is Important
Freshly collected milk starts off at room temperature and can only keep its best quality for about two hours before bacteria begin to multiply. Warmer conditions speed up this process, turning fresh milk into spoiled milk quickly.
That is why studies recommend chilling milk to 4°C within the first hour after collection, locking in its freshness and preserving its quality before pasteurization.
Dairy operations typically employ bulk milk coolers at various points in the supply chain to maintain milk quality. However, conventional bulk milk coolers present specific challenges when chilling large volumes of milk.
Challenges in Conventional Cooling
When establishing milk collection and chilling stations, dairies must consider factors beyond storage capacity. While conventional bulk milk coolers can accommodate and rapidly chill large volumes, those installed in rural areas encounter operational challenges for which they were not originally designed:
- Frequent power interruptions and voltage fluctuations
- Limited electricity availability in rural areas
- Dependence on costly diesel generators
- Rising electricity and fuel costs
- Higher milk procurement volumes during peak seasons
These challenges affect the chilling efficiency of the bulk milk cooler, ultimately hitting the profits of the dairy.
Hidden Costs of Milk Chilling
India’s dairy network stretches far and wide, and dairies along with milk unions strive to keep the supply chain running like clockwork. Chilling milk from farm to processing plant is key to a longer shelf life. Yet, the hidden challenges of conventional bulk milk coolers often saddle these organizations with hefty costs that sneak up unnoticed.
Energy Consumption
Unreliable power supply is not an uncommon occurrence in rural India. Electricity often fluctuates, from outages to low voltage, leading to many pauses in the milk-chilling process. But the real problem doesn’t end there.
Every time the power flickers, the cooler’s compressor must restart and work overtime to restore the milk to its ideal temperature. This surge in energy use sends costs soaring for dairies.
Dependency on Diesel Fuel
In rural areas with frequent power cuts, dairies often use diesel generators as backup power sources to maintain proper milk chilling.
However, diesel generators are not cheap to use. Fuel is expensive. And in case of places with frequent power cuts, dairies end up using more diesel to run their generators. Additionally, they also need regular maintenance, contributing to recurring expenses.
Load on the Compressor
Milk arrives in the bulk milk cooler at room temperature. To be able to chill it to lower temperatures, BMCs often end up running for longer periods continuously; that is, if there is a continuous supply of electricity.
When power fluctuates, the compressor must work even harder to chill the stored milk. Overworked compressors demand frequent maintenance and are far more likely to break down.
As milk procurement expands to more villages, dairies are forced to bear elevated costs of these factors.
To combat these challenges, innovations such as the Thermal-based Bulk Milk Coolers come in clutch. They eliminate the need for diesel generators, store cooling energy to be used during power outages, and enable constant cooling that helps maintain milk quality.
Energy Consumption: Thermal Storage-based Bulk Milk Cooler v/s Conventional Bulk Milk Cooler
Electricity makes up for the biggest cost of milk chilling. Even in its absence, milk still keeps coming in from the farmers leading to an increase in the temperature of the milk inside the BMC. Once power starts up again, it takes the refrigerator even more energy to get the milk back to the desired temperature.
Cooling performance is also worth noting here. Conventional BMCs can take at least three hours to chill milk to recommended cold temperatures. That is, if it receives a constant supply of electricity.
In contrast, thermal storage-based BMCs like the Prompt TSBMC combine conventional refrigeration with a thermal energy storage system. A recent case study also found it could cut a dairy’s chilling costs by 53%. This means that it stores cooling energy when power is available and can run on it during an outage. It can even charge up using solar photovoltaic systems.
The cooling performance of a thermal storage-based BMC is also better. It can chill milk from room temperature to 4°C within two hours. The thermal storage capacity is also sufficient for two milk collection shifts.
New Wave of Chilling Solution
Solutions such as the Prompt TSBMC have transformed the dairy cold chain by reducing electricity consumption and decreasing reliance on diesel generators. These systems also require less maintenance than diesel generators, thereby ensuring long-term operational performance.
One of the standout cases of this solution came from a small rural milk collection establishment in Maharashtra. Previously reliant on diesel generators that operated for extended periods during summer, the centre adopted the Prompt TSBMC to alleviate costs.
Prompt TSBMC is especially useful in such cases because it can be retrofitted to existing chilling infrastructure, allowing dairies to upgrade their cooling system while saving up to 40–50% on capital investment. The milk collection centre successfully installed the system and noticed quite a bit of change:
- Usage of generator declined, and diesel consumption reduced by around 80%.
- Cooling time remained consistent at around two hours even during summers.
- Estimated annual operating savings of around INR 2 lakh.
Thermal Storage-based bulk milk cooling promises an efficient and cost-effective future for the dairy supply chain. Looking to reduce milk chilling costs without compromising quality? Get in touch with our team to learn more about Prompt TSBMC.
FAQs
A thermal storage bulk milk cooler is a milk chilling unit that stores cooling energy when power is available and uses it to maintain cooling during outages.
A conventional BMC relies entirely on continuous power to chill milk. A thermal storage bulk milk cooling unit combines refrigeration with stored cooling energy, keeping milk chilled even during power outages.
Cooling performance varies by design and capacity. Thermal storage-based systems such as the Prompt TSBMC can chill milk from room temperature to approximately 4°C within two hours while maintaining performance during challenging operating conditions.
Yes. Thermal storage bulk milk coolers are specifically designed for regions with unreliable power supply. The stored cooling energy helps maintain milk temperature during outages, protecting milk quality and reducing generator usage.
Yes. Solutions like the Prompt TSBMC can be retrofitted to existing chilling infrastructure, so dairies can save up on capital investment while ensuring efficient cooling.
