Ditching Ductwork: High-Rise, Automated Cold Storage Unlocks Full Storage Potential

In Yongin, South Korea, a 38-meter-tall automated, high-rise cold storage is operating at full capacity, holding approximately 12,600 tons of beef and pork products. Completed in 2022, the facility’s biggest technological breakthrough lies not in the selection of compressors or refrigerants, but in an innovative air distribution method inside the cold store.

Temperature Uniformity vs. Space Utilization

The automated cold storage at Plaza Logis Logistics Center stands 38 m high, 60 m long, and 36 m wide, with capacity for around 14,000 pallets. To maintain a stable temperature of -25°C for meat products at every position, from floor level to shelves over 30 m high, conventional designs rely on extensive ductwork for forced air supply.
However, installing air ducts sacrifices valuable storage pallet positions and increases air resistance, driving up fan energy consumption. This conflict becomes particularly acute for automated, high-rise cold stores that pursue maximum space utilization and operational efficiency.

Cold Lake Principle, No Ductwork Required

The Güntner Highstore Air Cooler solution for high-rise warehouses perfectly resolves this challenge. Its core design is based on the physical cold lake principle:

• Cold air is discharged from the air coolers and sinks to the cold store floor.
•  Denser cold air spreads across the floor like a still lake.
•  Warmed air rises through the entire shelving area, to the ceiling, before being recirculated back into the air coolers to form a closed loop.

This design eliminates the need for supply air ducts entirely, delivering even temperature distribution with minimal temperature deviation — ideally suited to the depth and height of high-rise, automated cold storage.