Cold storage room atmosphere control method

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF OPERATING A SEALED COLD STORAGE ROOM CONTAINING PERISHABLE REPENING FRESH FOODSTUFF IN WHICH IS PROVIDED A CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE AT A LOW TEMPERATURE APPROACHING 32*F. HAVING AN ELEVATED CARBON DIOXIDE CONTENT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 2 TO 6% AND A REDUCED OXYGEN CONTENT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 2 TO 8% SELECTED TO REDUCE THE RATE OF RIPENING OF SAID PERISHABLE FOODSTUFF, THE STEPS COMPRISING CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM COOLED TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT SAID LOW TEMPERATURE APPROACHING 32*F. AND CIRCULATING THE ATMOSPHERE OF SAID COLD STORAGE ROOM INTO INTIMATE COUNTERFLOW CONTACT WITH SAID COOLED AQUEOUS MEDIUM AND TO ABSORB CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCED BY SAID PERISHABLES AND ODOROUS MATERIALS THEREFROM, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF SAID AQUEOUS MEDIUM CONTAINING CARBON DIOXIDE AND ODOROUS MATERIALS FROM SAID COLD STORAGE ROOM, CONTINUOUSLY INTIMATELY MIXING FRESH ATMOSPHERIC AIR WITH SAID WITHDRAWN PORTION OF AQUEOUS MEDIUM AND SEPARATING SAID AIR FROM SAID MEDIUM, WHEREBY CARBON DIOXIDE AND ODOROUS MATERIALS ARE DESORBED AND SEPARATED FROM SAID AQUEOUS MEDIUM, AND THEN RECYCLING SAID AQUEOUS MEDIUM TO BE COMBINED WITH SAID AQUEOUS FLUID MEDIUM WHICH IS CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATED IN SAID COLD STORAGE ROOM, SAID PORTION OF CIRCULATING AQUEOUS MEDIUM BEING WITHDRAWN AND RECYCLED AT A RATE REGULATED TO MAINTAIN THE CARBON DIOXIDE CONTENT OF SAID ATMOSPHERE AT A SELECTED CONTENT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 2 TO 6%.