This course introduces the principles of refrigeration engineering and explains how refrigeration systems are used to cool, chill, freeze and store a wide range of agricultural and food products. You'll gain an understanding of how refrigeration works, why different products require different storage conditions, and how proper temperature management reduces spoilage, extends shelf life and preserves product quality.
Why Study Post Harvest Refrigeration?
Poor temperature management is one of the leading causes of food waste worldwide. Effective refrigeration helps businesses:
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Reduce product losses
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Maintain freshness and quality
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Improve food safety
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Extend shelf life
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Meet industry standards
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Increase customer satisfaction
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Improve storage efficiency
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Reduce financial losses
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Support domestic and export markets
Understanding refrigeration principles allows businesses to make better decisions about harvesting, storage, packaging and distribution.
Refrigeration is essential across many industries, including:
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Agriculture
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Horticulture
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Food manufacturing
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Cold storage facilities
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Fresh produce distribution
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Export businesses
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Wholesale fruit and vegetable markets
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Meat processing
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Seafood production
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Dairy production
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Floriculture
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Seed production
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Beverage manufacturing
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Hospitality
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Supermarkets and retail food businesses
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Logistics and refrigerated transport
Course Duration: 100 hours approximately. Self-paced study.
Course Structure
There are 8 lessons in this course.
- Lesson 1 – Nature & Scope of Refrigeration
- Introduction
- Nature of refrigeration
- Why refrigerate?
- Brief History of refrigeration
- Scope of refrigeration
- What things are refrigerated and what should not be?
- Refrigeration Methods
- Different types of refrigerators
- Lesson 2 – The Refrigeration Process
- The Refrigeration Process
- Underlying Principles
- Definition of Work
- The Second Law of Thermodynamics
- The Gas Laws
- The refrigeration cycle
- Lesson 3 – The Vapour Compression System
- Refrigeration components in vapour compression systems
- Compressor
- Condenser
- Liquid Receiver
- Expansion Valve
- Evaporator
- Interconnecting pipework
- Suction Line
- Discharge Line
- Liquid Drain Line
- Liquid Line
- Refrigerant composition
- The domestic refrigerator
- Lesson 4 – Heat Load Calculations
- Heat gain calculations
- Fabric Heat Gains
- Product Heat Gains
- Air Change Heat Gains
- Occupancy Heat Gains
- Lighting Heat Gains
- Mechanical/Electrical Heat Gains
- Lesson 5 – The Refrigeration Cycle: Refrigerants & Components
- Refrigerant Selection
- ASHRAE Standards
- Boiling Point/Evaporating Point
- Freezing Point
- Toxicity and Flammability
- Acute Toxicity Exposure Limit (ATEL)
- Practical Limit (PL)
- Global Warming Potential
- Pressure enthalpy chart
- Component selections
- Evaporator Selection
- Compressor Selection
- Condenser Selection
- Expansion Valve Selection
- Lesson 6 – Applied Refrigeration: Farm Produce
- Fruit
- General Requirements
- Pre-treatment
- Specific Examples
- Vegetables
- General Requirements
- Pre-treatment
- Specific Examples: Precooling
- Specific Examples: Storage Life
- Nuts and Seeds
- General Requirements
- Specific Examples
- Meat
- General Requirements
- Specific Examples
- Fish
- General Requirements
- Specific Examples
- Dairy
- General Requirements
- Specific Examples
- Lesson 7 – Applied Refrigeration: Other Products
- Cut Flowers
- General Requirements
- Duration
- Shelf Life
- Post-Harvest Treatments
- Conditioning for Market
- Packaging
- Specific Examples
- Seed Storage Behaviour
- Factors Affecting Storage of Seed
- Types of Seed Storage
- Cold and Cool Rooms in Seed Banks
- Chemicals
- Plant Growth Regulators
- Storing Plant Growth Regulators
- Auxins
- Cytokinins
- Gibberellins
- Agricultural Chemicals
- Lesson 8 – Freezing Goods
- Why Freeze Food?
- Problems of Freezing
- Other Frozen Agricultural Products
- Commercial Freezing Methods
- Methods
- Commercial Freezing Equipment
- Domestic Freezing
- A few guidelines for freezing
- Power Failure
- Other General Considerations
- Freezing fruits
- Freezing vegetables
- Freezing meat and poultry
- Freezing meat, poultry and fish
- How to Soften Water
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked and returned to you with any relevant suggestions or feedback.
Who Should Study This Course?
This course is suitable for anyone involved in producing, handling, storing or transporting temperature-sensitive products, including:
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| Farmers |
Market Gardeners |
Orchard Managers |
Greenhouse Growers |
| Food Processors |
Refrigerated Transport Operators |
Cold Storage & Warehouse Staff |
Food Manufacturing Employees |
| Produce Wholesalers |
Florists & Flower Growers |
Seed Producers |
Export Businesses |
| Supply Chain Managers |
Quality Assurance Personnel |
Agribusiness Professionals |
Small Business Owners & Entrepreneurs |
Invest in Skills That Support the Entire Food Supply Chain.
Gain practical knowledge that can benefit your career or business and enrol today.
Got Questions? Get In Touch!
We can help you choose the right course!
Email admin@acs.edu.au | Call (07) 5562 1088