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Latent heat energy storage in a household refrigerator powered by photovoltaic electricity – heat transfer design and technical viability.

Number: 2442

Author(s) : MIRA-HERNÁNDEZ C., ISAZA-ROLDÁN C. A.

Summary

In remote rural areas without access to the electrical grid, the use of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) installation to drive a domestic refrigerator can be a viable option for adequate food preservation. In this application, energy storage, probably in electric batteries, is required to guarantee refrigeration conditions during periods without solar energy availability. However, electric batteries are still costly, have limited lifespan and use materials with restricted availability. Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) can be an alternative to electric batteries with reduced cost and lower environmental impact. The current study presents general design guidelines for a system with a household refrigerator driven by PV power and with LHTES units. The LHTES units consist of finned panels filled with phase change material (PCM) that are placed on the vertical walls of the compartments, and are passively discharged by free convection. A thermodynamic model is used to size the system components and assess the technical viability of the proposed configuration. Special attention is paid to the heat transfer considerations involved in the design of the LHTES units to guarantee the required charge and discharge powers. The analysis is applied to a 400 L sample commercial refrigerator operating in Medellín, Colombia. It is concluded that the refrigerator necessitates moderate modifications to achieve the technical viability of the proposed configuration.

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Pages: 110

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Details

  • Original title: Latent heat energy storage in a household refrigerator powered by photovoltaic electricity – heat transfer design and technical viability.
  • Record ID : 30028480
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology, Developing country
  • Source: 2021 Purdue Conferences. 18th International Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2021/05
  • Document available for consultation in the library of the IIR headquarters only.

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