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Spinoff story
Preserving Perishables (Dormavac)
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Dormavac, manufactured by Grumman, can preserve perishable commodities for weeks without freezing so they can be shipped fresh without the cost of air freight. It provides a commodity preserving environment within an aluminum container that can be transported by truck, rail or ship. Dormavac creates a cool, but above freezing environment with high relative humidity and very low air pressure. Saturated air minimizes commodity weight loss and the air is automatically changed several times an hour to flush away odors and harmful gases released by the commodities. Dormavac significantly extends the transportation life of perishables.