" Solar Cooler": Kali Charan Nigam Institute of Technology

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KALI CHARAN NIGAM INSTITUTE OF

TECHNOLOGY
Naraini Road, Banda (U.P.) 210001
(Approved by A.I.C.T.E. Delhi and Affiliated to G.B.T.U. Lucknow)
Session: 2010-2011
A PROJECT REPORT ON
SOLAR COOLER
Submitted in the partial Fulfillment of degree of
Bachelor of Technology
In
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Under the guidance of
Mr. PRIYATAM SRIVASTAVA
Submitted By-:
Submitted To-:
Vinay Kr. Singh (T.L.)
Mr. Sailendra Yadav
Dhirendra Pratap Singh
(Project Incharge)
Chandan Kr. Kushwaha

Rohit Kr. Mehrotra
DATE
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Many persons have contributed to make this project SOLAR COOLER a

reality. We would specially like to express our appreciation to Mr. PRIYATAM
SRIYASTAVA as a project guide for his unstinted support, encouragement and
his painstakingly and meticulous effort towards developing this project.
We acknowledge the help and cooperation received from all the faculty
members of KALICHARAN NIGAM INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.
Several colleagues and students have contributed directly and indirectly to the
contents this project, as they had given us numerous ideas. Their criticism gave us
the much-needed hints about the areas that needed elaboration and amendments
and also to present them with greater clarity.
We sincerely express our gratitude to Mr. JAI PRAKASH KUSHWAHA,
department incharge of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, for his support and
help in the final preparation of this Report.
Finally, we wish to express our sincere thanks to all our family members,
especially our Parents for their constant moral support and encouragement.
DECLARATION
We hereby declare that this project SOLAR COOLER is genuine work carried
out by us and has not been presented by any other student in any college or
university. All the analysis done, word carried out and the project developed is the
result of the efforts made by us along with our team members.
Vinay Kumar Singh (T.L.)

Dhirendra Pratap Singh
Chandan Kumar Kushwaha
Rohit Kumar Mehrotra
DATE
Title of the
SOLAR COOLER
Table Of Contents
S.No.
Contents
1.
Introduction
2.
Objective
3.
Main components
Solar panel
Battery
D.C. motor
Fan
Cooler body
Cotton
4.
Limitations
5.
Conclusion
6.
Bibliography
Page No.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION OF THE
Our project Solar Cooler is based on the concept of harvesting solar energy. As it
is easily interpretable from the name of the project that it is based on the solar
energy for satisfying its need of power source. The functionality of Solar Cooler is
dissimilar as that of the traditional coolers. The solar energy is harvested and stored
in a battery. This battery is in turn connected to the solar cooler for the power
source. Then the water flows downwards from the higher potential towards cooler
grass and cotton. The cooler grass and the cotton soaks the water and makes the
air cool; even if the potential of water get lower it does not create any kind of
hindrance in the smooth working of the solar cooler.
It do not creates the overheads of maintenance or purchasing of pump neither it has
to be sent for servicing every season. The concept of solar cooler sounds good and
economical hence almost every class of our society can bear its expenses. The best
part is that it can be used even in those rural areas where, there is no facility of
electricity supply. Thus in rural areas it can be widely used.
Line Diagram of Solar Cooler
Solar Panel
Charging
System
Wires
Battery
Cooler Body
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE OF THE
Saving power and electricity.
Reducing the expenses made on maintenance of cooler by replacing the
concept of pump.
Reducing the overheads creates by the electricity pump to lift the water
when the voltage supply is low.
To reduce the electricity bills.
Minimizing the need of season wise servicing.
To enable people of those rural areas which do not have electricity supply to
have cool air during summer days.
MAIN COMPONENTS
SOLAR PANEL
SOLAR
How Do Solar Panel Work?

A solar panel is a device that collects photons of sunlight, which are very small
packets of electromagnetic radiation energy, and converts them into electrical
current that can be used to power electrical loads.
Using solar panels is a very practical way to produce electricity for many
applications. The obvious would have to be off-grid living. Living off-grid means
living in a location that is not serviced by the main electric utility grid. Remote
homes and cabins benefit nicely from solar power systems. No longer is it
necessary to pay huge fees for the installation of electric utility poles and cabling
from the nearest main grid access point. A solar electric system is potentially less
expensive and can provide power for upwards of three decades if properly
maintained.
Besides the fact that solar panels make it possible to live off-grid, perhaps the
greatest benefit that you would enjoy from the use of solar power is that it is both a
clean and a renewable source of energy. With the advent of global climate change,
it has become more important that we do whatever we can to reduce the pressure
on our atmosphere from the emission of greenhouse gases. Solar panels have no
moving parts and require little maintenance. They are ruggedly built and last for
decades when properly maintained. Last, but not least, of the benefits of solar
panels and solar power is that, once a system has paid for its initial installation
costs, the electricity it produces for the remainder of the systems lifespan, which
could be as much as 15-20 years depending on the quality of the system, is

absolutely free! For grid-tie solar power system owners, the benefits begin from
the moment the system comes online, potentially eliminating monthly electric bills
or, and this is the best part, actually earning the systems owner additional income
from the electric company.
The solar cells you would have seen on satellites, calculators etc are photovoltaic
cells or modules (modules are a collection of solar cells electrically connected and
joined together in one frame). Photovoltaics, (photo = light, voltaic = electricity),
convert the energy of sunlight directly into electricity. Originally expensive and
only used in space, photovoltaics are now finding many applications on countless
devices, buildings etc were ever remote or free and environmentally sustainable
produced electricity is required.
Photovoltaic (PV) cells are made of special materials called semiconductors like
silicon, which is currently the most commonly used. Basically, when light shines
on the solar cell a percentage of this solar energy is absorbed into the
semiconductor material. This energy now inside the semiconductor knocks
electrons loose allowing them to flow freely. PV cells also all have one or more
electric fields that force electrons freed by light absorption to flow in a certain
direction. This flow of electrons is an electrical current. Metal contacts on the top
and bottom of the PV cell draw that current off to use to power external electrical
products such as lights, calculators etc. This current, combined with the cells
voltage (which is a result of its built-in electric field or fields), determines the
power (or wattage) that the solar cell can produce.
Solar panels collect clean renewable energy in the form of sunlight and convert
that light into electricity which can then be used to provide power for electrical
loads. Solar panels are comprised of several individual solar cells which are
themselves composed of layers of silicon, phosphorous (which provides the
negative charge), and boron (which provides the positive charge). Solar panels
absorb the photons and in doing so initiate an electric current. The resulting energy
generated from photons striking the surface of the solar panel allows electrons to
be knocked out of their atomic orbits and released into the electric field generated
by the solar cells.
An average home has more than enough roof area for the necessary number of
solar panels to produce enough solar electricity to supply all of its power needs.
Assisted by an inverter, a device that converts the direct current (or DC current),
generated by a solar panel into alternating current (or AC current), solar panel
arrays can be sized to meet the most demanding electrical load requirements. The
AC current can be used to power loads in your home or commercial building, your
recreational vehicle or your boat (RV/Marine Solar Panels), your remote cabin or
home, and remote traffic controls, telecommunications equipment, oil and gas flow
monitoring, RTU, SCADA, and much more.
BATTERY
BATTERY
The Battery (Dry Cell)

(How They Generate Electrical Power)
The common battery (dry cell) is a device that changes chemical energy to
electrical energy. Dry cells are widely used in toys, flashlights, portable radios,
cameras, hearing aids, and other devices in common use. A battery consists of an
outer case made of zinc (the negative electrode), a carbon rod in the center of the
cell (the positive electrode), and the space between them is filled with an
electrolyte paste. In operation the electrolyte, consisting of ground carbon,
Manganese dioxide, Sal ammoniac, and zinc chloride, causes the electrons to flow
and produce electricity.
How do batteries work?
Electricity is the flow of electrons through a circuit or conductive path like a wire.
Batteries have three parts, an anode (-), a cathode (+), and the electrolyte. The
cathode and anode (the positive and negative sides at either end of a smaller
battery) are hooked up to an electrical circuit.
Electron Flow
The chemical reaction in the battery causes a buildup of electrons at the anode.
This results in an electrical difference between the anode and the cathode. You can
think of this difference as an unstable build-up of the electrons. The electrons want
to rearrange themselves to get rid of this difference. But they do this in a certain
way. Electrons repel each other and try to go to a place with fewer electrons.
In a battery, the only place to go is to the cathode. But, the electrolyte keeps the
electrons from going straight from the anode to the cathode within the battery.
When the circuit is closed (a wire connects the cathode and the anode) the
electrons will be able to get to the cathode. In this example, the electrons go
through the wire, lighting the light bulb along the way. This is one way of
describing how electrical potential causes electrons to flow through the circuit.
However, these electrochemical processes change the chemicals in anode and
cathode to make them stop supplying electrons. So there is a limited amount of
power available in a battery.
When a battery is recharged, the direction of the flow of electrons is changed, the
electrochemical processes happen in reverse, and the anode and cathode are
restored to their original state and can again provide full power.
Batteries are used in many places such as in flashlights, cars, PCs, laptops, portable
MP3 players and cell phones. A battery is essentially a can full of chemicals that
cause chemical reactions that produce electrons. Looking at any battery, there are
generally two terminals. One terminal is marked (+), or positive, while the other is
marked (-), or negative. In an AA, C or D cell (normal flashlight batteries), the
ends of the battery are the terminals. In a large car battery, there are two heavy lead
posts that act as the terminals. Electrons collect on the negative terminal of the
battery. If a wire is connected between the negative and positive terminals, the
electrons will flow from the negative to the positive terminal as fast as it can wear
out the battery quickly and possibly cause an explosion.
Inside the battery, a chemical reaction produces the electrons. The speed of
electron production by this chemical reaction (the battery's internal resistance)
controls how many electrons can flow between the terminals. Electrons flow from
the battery into a wire, and must travel from the negative to the positive terminal
for the chemical reaction to take place. That is why a battery can sit on a shelf for a
year and still have plenty of power - unless electrons are flowing from the negative
to the positive terminal, the chemical reaction does not take place.
The "Dry-Cell" Battery Mechanism
The most common type of battery used today is the "dry cell" battery. There are
many different types of batteries ranging from the relatively large "flashlight"
batteries to the miniaturized versions used for wristwatches or calculators.
Although they vary widely in composition and form, they all work on the sample
principle. A "dry-cell" battery is essentially comprised of a metal electrode or
graphite rod (elemental carbon) surrounded by a moist electrolyte paste enclosed in
a metal cylinder as shown below.
In the most common type of dry cell battery, the cathode is composed of a form of
elemental carbon called graphite, which serves as a solid support for the reduction
half-reaction. In an acidic dry cell, the reduction reaction occurs within the moist
paste comprised of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and manganese dioxide (MnO2):
2 NH4+ + 2 MnO2 + 2e- ------> Mn2O3 + 2 NH3 + H2O

A thin zinc cylinder serves as the anode and it undergoes oxidation:
Zn (s) ---------------> Zn+2 + 2eThis dry cell "couple" produces about 1.5 volts. (These "dry cells" can also be
linked in series to boost the voltage produced). In the alkaline version or "alkaline
battery", the ammonium chloride is replaced by KOH or NaOH and the half-cell
reactions are:
Zn +
2 OH-
-------> ZnO + H2O + 2e-
2 MnO2 + 2e- + H2O -------> Mn2O3 + 2 OHThe alkaline dry cell lasts much longer as the zinc anode corrodes less rapidly
under basic conditions than under acidic conditions.
Other types of dry cell batteries are the silver battery in which silver metal serves
as an inert cathode to support the reduction of silver oxide (Ag 2O) and the
oxidation of zinc (anode) in a basic medium. The type of battery commonly used
for calculators is the mercury cell. In this type of battery, HgO serves as the
oxidizing agent (cathode) in a basic medium, while zinc metal serves as the anode.
Another type of battery is the nickel/cadmium battery, in which cadmium metal
serves as the anode and nickel oxide serves as the cathode in an alkaline medium.
Unlike the other types of dry cells described above, the nickel/cadmium cell can be
recharged like the lead-acid battery.
DC MOTOR
DC
MOTOR
An electric motor uses electrical energy to produce mechanical energy, nearly
always by the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors. The
reverse process that of using mechanical energy to produce electrical energy, is
accomplished by a generator or dynamo. Traction motors used on vehicles often
perform both tasks.
Electric motors are found in a myriad of uses such as industrial fans, blowers and
pumps, machine tools, household appliances, power tools, and computer disk
drives, among many other applications. Electric motors may be operated by direct
current from a battery in a portable device or motor vehicle, or from alternating
current from a central electrical distribution grid. The smallest motors may be
found in electric wristwatches. Medium-size motors of highly standardized
dimensions and characteristics provide convenient mechanical power for industrial
uses. The very largest electric motors are used for propulsion of large ships, and for
such purposes as pipeline compressors, with ratings in the thousands of kilowatts.
Electric motors may be classified by the source of electric power, by their internal
construction, and by application.
DC motor principle
DC motors consist of rotor-mounted windings (armature) and stationary windings
(field poles). In all DC motors, except permanent magnet motors, current must be
conducted to the armature windings by passing current through carbon brushes that
slide over a set of copper surfaces called a commutator, which is mounted on the
rotor. The commutator bars are soldered to armature coils. The brush/commutator
combination makes a sliding switch that energizes particular portions of the
armature, based on the position of the rotor. This process creates north and south
magnetic poles on the rotor that are attracted to or repelled by north and south
poles on the stator, which are formed by passing direct current through the field
windings. It's this magnetic attraction and repulsion that causes the rotor to rotate.
DC
Motor Operation
Current in DC Motor
Magnetic Field in DC Motor
Force in DC Motor
Torque in DC Motor
Torque on a Current Loop

The torque on a current-carrying coil, as in a DC motor, can be related to the
characteristics of the coil by the "magnetic moment" or "magnetic dipole moment".
The torque exerted by the magnetic force (including both sides of the coil) is given
by
The coil characteristics can be grouped as
called the magnetic moment of the loop, and the torque written as
The direction of the magnetic moment is perpendicular to the current loop in the
right-hand-rule direction, the direction of the normal to the loop in the illustration.
Considering torque as a vector quantity, this can be written as the vector product
since this torque acts perpendicular to the magnetic moment, then it can cause the
magnetic moment to process around the magnetic field at a characteristic
frequency called the Larmor frequency.
If you exerted the necessary torque to overcome the magnetic torque and rotate the
loop from angle zero to 180 degrees, you would do an amount of rotational work
given by the integral
The position where the magnetic moment is opposite to the magnetic field is said
to have a higher magnetic potential energy.
Torque Variation in DC Motor
Commutator and Brushes on DC Motor

To keep the torque on a DC motor from reversing every time the coil moves
through the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field, a split-ring device called a
commutator is used to reverse the current at that point. The electrical contacts to
the rotating ring are called "brushes" since copper brush contacts were used in
early motors. Modern motors normally use spring-loaded carbon contacts, but the
historical name for the contacts has persisted.
Types of DC motor
There are three types of DC motor:

DC series motor
DC shunt motor
DC compound motor
Series motor
In SERIES MOTORS, the field windings are connected in series with the armature
coil. The field strength varies with changes in armature current. When its speed is
reduced by a load, the series motor develops greater torque. Its starting torque is
greater than other types of dc motors. Its speed varies widely between full-load and
no-load. Unloaded operation of large machines is dangerous.
Shunt motor:-
In SHUNT MOTORS, the field windings are connected in parallel (shunt) across
the armature coil.
The field strength is independent of the armature current. Shunt-motor speed varies
only slightly with changes in load, and the starting torque is less than that of other
types of dc motors.
Shunt motors use high-resistance field windings connected in parallel with the
armature. Varying the field resistance changes the motor speed. Shunt motors are
prone to armature reaction, a distortion and weakening of the flux generated by the
poles that results in commutation problems evidenced by sparking at the brushes.
Installing additional poles, called interpoles, on the stator between the main poles
wired in series with the armature reduces armature reaction.
Compound motors:-
Here, the concept of the series and shunt designs are combined. The Figure above
shows one way of wiring a compound motor with interpoles. The blue lines
indicate the shunt field, the red lines designate the series field, and the green lines
show the interpole windings in series with the armature.
After more than a century, DC motors are still in widespread use, and thanks to
niche applications that show no signs of disappearing, they'll be around for many
years to come.
FAN
FA
N
COOLER BODY
COOLER
BODY
Cooler body is made of Tin.

Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (Latin: stannum) and atomic
number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows
chemical similarity to neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has
two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4. Tin is the 49th
most abundant element and has, with 10 stable isotopes, the largest number of
stable isotopes in the periodic table. Tin is obtained chiefly from the mineral
cassiterite, where it occurs as tin dioxide, SnO2.
This silvery, malleable pool metal is not easily oxidized in air and is used to coat
other metals to prevent corrosion. The first alloy, used in large scale since 3000
BC, was bronze, an alloy of tin and copper. After 600 BC pure metallic tin was
produced. Pewter, which is an alloy of 85% to 90% tin with the remainder
commonly consisting of copper, antimony and lead, was used for flatware from the
Bronze Age until the 20th century. In modern times tin is used in many alloys,
most notably tin/lead soft solders, typically containing 60% or more of tin. Another
large application for tin is corrosion-resistant tin plating of steel. Because of its low
toxicity, tin-plated metal is also used for food packaging, giving the name to tin
cans, which are made mostly of steel
COTTO
N
Cotton works on the principle of capillary tube (Meniscus height).
Height of a meniscus
The height h of a liquid column is given by:
where is the liquid-air surface tension (force/unit length), is the contact angle,
is the density of liquid (mass/volume), g is local gravitational field strength
(force/unit mass), and r is radius of tube (length).
For a water-filled glass tube in air at standard laboratory conditions, = 0.0728
N/m at 20 C, = 20 (0.35rad), is 1000 kg/m3, and g = 9.8 m/s2. For these
values, the height of the water column is
Thus for a 4 m (13 ft) diameter tube (radius 2 m (6.6 ft)), the water would rise an
unnoticeable 0.007 mm (0.00028 in). However, for a 4 cm (1.6 in) diameter tube
(radius 2 cm (0.79 in)), the water would rise 0.7 mm (0.028 in), and for a 0.4 mm
(0.016 in) diameter tube (radius 0.2 mm (0.0079 in)), the water would rise 70 mm
(2.8 in).
LIMITATION
LIMITATION
S
1- The main limitation is that the intensity of solar radiation is weather

dependent. On cloudy day, the intensity of radiation is very low which is
further affected by the dust, fog and smoke. There for it cannot work
properly in cloudy days.
2- It covers only small area.
3- The initial cost of the system is quite high.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIO
N
Earlier in the traditional cooler, pump was used to lift the water up but in our
concept of solar cooler the water flows down from the higher potential to
downwards making the cotton and cooler grass wet. Thus this wet grass and cotton
makes the air cool; even if the potential of water get lowers it does not create any
kind of hindrance in the smooth working of the solar cooler.
Therefore from the above mentioned facts we can conclude that the concept of
solar cooler is so cost effective and it do not creates the overheads of maintenance
or purchasing of pump neither it has to be sent for servicing every season.
So, we can say that the concept of solar cooler sounds good and economical hence
almost every class of our society can bear its expenses.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
1). Non-Conventional Energy Sources - By G.D. RAI

2). Nonconventional Energy By Ashok V. Desai
3). Renewable energy sources and conversion technology By Bansal Keemann

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() www.final-yearproject.com | www.finalyearthesis.

KALI CHARAN NIGAM INSTITUTE OF

Vinay Kr. Singh (T.L.)

Mr. Sailendra Yadav

Dhirendra Pratap Singh

Chandan Kr. Kushwaha

Many persons have contributed to make this project SOLAR COOLER a

Vinay Kumar Singh (T.L.)

Line Diagram of Solar Cooler

How Do Solar Panel Work?

could be as much as 15-20 years depending on the quality of the system, is

The Battery (Dry Cell)

2 NH4+ + 2 MnO2 + 2e- ------> Mn2O3 + 2 NH3 + H2O

-------> ZnO + H2O + 2e-

Magnetic Field in DC Motor

Torque on a Current Loop

The coil characteristics can be grouped as

Torque Variation in DC Motor

Commutator and Brushes on DC Motor

There are three types of DC motor:

Cooler body is made of Tin.

Cotton works on the principle of capillary tube (Meniscus height).

1- The main limitation is that the intensity of solar radiation is weather

1). Non-Conventional Energy Sources - By G.D. RAI

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