JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 0022-1945

PELTIER ENABLED DUAL PURPOSE THERMO-ELECTRIC SOLAR

REFRIGERATOR – A SURVEY
PavanPrasad.R1, Mohammed Sadath2, Yashas.R3, Mahadeva.G.R. 4, Sangeetha.V 5
#1,2,3,4
Student, ECE Department, K.S.I.T, 5 Assistant Professor, ECE Department, K.S.I.T
1pavanprasad082@gmail.com

2mohammedsadaath@gmail.com

3mahadevgr198@gmail.com

4yaashas.sep@gmail.com

Abstract—In the recent years the increase in CO2 emission and ozone layer depletion due to energy crises has become the primary concern
in all the countries. Therefore, this paper tends to outlines the survey of photovoltaic driven refrigerator cum heating system powered from
solar panels with a battery supply. The Performance of this model is Experimentally Evaluated with an Aluminium cabinet. The device is
powered by the PV cells. Since the Peltier module is compact in size, a refrigeration or heating system can be designed according to the
user’s requirement. It is cost effective and eco-friendly system. The main purpose of this project is to provide refrigeration to the remote
areas where power supply is not possible.

Keywords: Carbon-di-oxide, ozone, Photovoltaic, Peltier module, Cost effective, Eco- friendly system, PV cells.

Introduction

As we know that, Renewable & alternative non-conventional green energy technologies used for heat-pumping applications. From
this comes Solar energy built as lowest cost, competition free, universal source of energy. It absorbs the Sunrays from the Sun
and converts it into a form of energy. This energy can be converted into useful electrical energy using photovoltaic technology.
Thermoelectric systems maintain the heating and cooling inside the system. Thermoelectric (TE) modules are solid-state heat
pumps (or refrigerators in case of cooling) that utilize the Peltier effect between the junctions of two semiconductors. The TE
modules require a DC power supply so that the current flows through the TE module in order to cause heat to be transferred from
one side of the TE module to other, thus creating a hot and cold side. The main objective of the heating & cooling system service
is to be suitable for use by the people who live in the remote areas of country where load shading is a major problem. This system
can also be used for remote parts of the world or outer conditions where electric power is limited. The current tendency of the
world is to look at renewable energy resources as a source of energy. This is done for the following two reasons; firstly, the lower
quality of life due to air pollution; and, secondly, due to the pressure of the ever-increasing world population puts on our natural
energy resources. From these two facts comes the realization that the natural energy resources available will not last indefinitely.
The basic idea is implementation of photovoltaic driven refrigerating system powered from direct current source or solar panel
(when needed) with a battery source. The backbone operation of this refrigeration system (i.e., heating or cooling operation) is
based on a thermoelectric device or a Peltier device. These thermoelectric or Peltier devices operate according to the Peltier effect.
This effect engenders a temperature difference by transferring heat between two electrical junctions. The electric current is
generated when a voltage is applied across joined conductors. With the consumption of this electrical energy, the heat is
transferred from one side of the device to another causing the cooling effect on one side and heating effect on the other. Hence,
Thermoelectric photo-voltaic driven Refrigeration aims at providing cooling effect by using thermoelectric effects rather than the
more prevalent conventional methods like those using the ‘vapour compression cycle’ or the ‘gas compression cycle’. However,
through the Peltier effect we can additionally accomplish heating or control of temperature. In every case, a DC voltage is a
requirement. The technique for thermoelectric cooling (utilizing the Peltier effect) is valuable since it can cool an entity with no
moving pieces or other complex apparatus that confines the cooler from its encompassing environment. The gadgets that are
responsible for these effects are rendered as Peltier modules (TECs). The essential thoughts from the simple Peltier components
can be associated with the arrangement to build significantly more complex Peltier modules, which have more prominent cooling
capacities. It also executes inverse process that is heating operation in a much efficient way.

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JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 0022-1945

I. LITERATURE SURVEY

In [1]. This outlines the implementation of photovoltaic driven refrigerator cum heating system powered from solar panels with
a battery source. Different from conventional refrigeration systems, thermoelectric refrigeration, based on the Peltier effect,
does not require any compressor, expansion valves, absorbers, condensers or solution pumps. Moreover, it does not require
working fluids or any moving parts, which is friendly to the environment and results in an increase in reliability. It simply uses
electrons rather than refrigerants as a heat carrier. Nowadays, thermoelectric refrigeration devices have a distinct place in
medical applications, electronic applications, scientific equipment and other applications, where a high-precision temperature-
-control is essential We demonstrate a Novel, Refrigeration cum Heater utilizing 3 Thermoelectric (TE) modules mounted around
a load cabinet. The Performance of this model is Experimentally Evaluated with an Aluminum cabinet. The device is powered by
a Non-conventional energy resource, here PV Cells. The cabinet can attain a temperature of about 8°C(min) till 200°C(max). The
difference between the existing methods and this model, is that a thermoelectric cooling system refrigerates without use of
mechanical devices(Conventional Condenser fins and Compressor) and without refrigerant too.

In [2]. This depicts that Minimal power consumption and miniaturization of the semiconductor chips are the major features that
lead the table of why this industry is a top notch one. It mentions of One of the most popular combinations being Mechanical and
Electronics, called Mechatronics. Refrigerator system is one such example where miniaturization is made possible with the usage
of advanced semiconductors, which also concentrates on reduced power consumption. Amongst the numerous ways, utilization
of Peltier Module is the most favourable one as per our research. In this paper, we aim at presenting a preponderant, propitious
and a simple solution for performing both cooling (Refrigeration) and heating effects in a more efficient manner by the utilization
of solar energy. The Peltier module is considered more efficient, static and easy to handle. It is reliable and eco-friendly. The
main idea of the implementation is The base of the prototype consists of three Li-Polymer cell (11.1V) 7.5ah battery with discharge
current up to 25A which has dimensions of 20cm x 20cm x 4cm and weighs 1400gm. The upper surface is divided into 4 equal
parts separated by a wall of 10cm height and 2cm in width. Each quadrant is exposed to two faces of the Peltier modules, such
that diagonally opposite quadrants come in contact with either hot or cold surface depending on the quadrant considered. Each
wall between two quadrants is embedded with a Peltier, mounted perpendicularly to the base. These Peltier modules are powered
by a battery and controlled by IGBT and microcontroller. Beneath the battery lies a foldable type solar panel which is spread
during charging.

In [3]. This depicts the principle of power generation behind the solar cells consists of the utilization of the photovoltaic effect of
semiconductors. When such a cell is exposed to light, electron-hole pairs are generated in proportion to the intensity of the light.
Solar cells are made by bonding together p-type and n- type semiconductors. The negatively charged electrons move to the n type
semiconductor while the positively charged holes move to the p-type semiconductor. They collect at both electrodes to form a
potential. When a wire connects the two electrodes, a current flow and the electric power thus generated can be transferred to an
outside application. The high performance of the thermoelectric coolers, produced allows us to increase the rate of cooling and
reach a larger temperature difference in relation to the environment. Thermoelectric coolers are optimized for source voltage 12V
and perform high cooling as well heating at low power consumption. The device is powered by a non-conventional energy
resource, here PV Cells are used. Since the Peltier module is compact in size, a refrigeration or heating system can be designed
according to the user’s (in desired shape and size).

In [4]. This generally focusses on the features and design of Peltier module. In this literature survey focus is mainly on the most
effective solutions for decreasing the CFC and other hazardous gases emissions from the building sector. The aim is to provide a
device that can do the same function without polluting the environment and to reduce the production of the CO2, SO2 because it
affects our environment negatively. The high output of CO2, SO2 has led to the following impact on the situation of global
warming and ozone depletion. This study was a part of the advanced intelligence technology (AIT) that utilizes the solar energy.
Also, it designs and develops a prototype unit that was illustrating the usefulness and economic sustainability of solar energy for
the planned purposes. Increasing the ongoing average earth’s temperature or rising air and average sea temperatures can be defined
as global warming. It is caused by raising the concentrations of the greenhouse gases that generated by human being behavior. It
observed that the air temperatures and sea have increased by about 0.8°C (1.4°F) which requires to be solved. Due to the
production of electricity, the release of toxic waste has increased and copious amounts of ultraviolet B rays to spread among the
earth which causes skin cancer in humans and harm animals. Most of the semiconductor materials, back coefficient, electric and
thermal conductivity is strongly temperature dependence. The present transient model is utilized to differentiate the dynamic
temperature varieties at both cold and hot ends with constant and variable material properties.

In [5]. It mainly describes thermoelectric and its effects and enhancement of thermoelectric refrigerator. This depicts as in
Thermoelectric refrigeration offers advantages (e.g., no moving parts) over other refrigeration technologies. However, because

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JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 0022-1945

maximum performance (i.e., heat load for a specified temperature drops below ambient temperature or vice versa) and efficiency
(i.e., coefficient of performance) are relatively low, it is important to realize them. It is shown cross-sectional area of the
semiconductor pellets in that a thermoelectric module (TEM) operating in refrigeration mode does not affect its performance or
efficiency, but may be sized to tune its operating current and voltage. Then, a procedure is provided to determine the height of
the pellets which maximizes performance. Next, it is shown that a range of pellet heights accommodates a specified performance
below the maximum one and a procedure is provided to compute that corresponding to maximum efficiency. A thermal resistance
boundary condition is applied between the interface in a TEM where Peltier cooling occurs and the control point where it maintains
the temperature of a component or medium below ambient temperature. Thermal resistance boundary conditions are also applied
between the control point and its local ambient and the interface in a TEM where Peltier heating occurs and its local ambient. The
analysis is generalized by using flux-based quantities where applicable and it accounts for the electrical contact resistance at the
interconnects in a TEM. According to this paper, it also offers advantages that is Ability to cool below ambient temperature and
Ability to cool and heat with same module. This paper conveys a full study on the behavior of thermoelectric effect and produces
relevant equations that satisfy the usefulness of the thermoelectric effect in the devices. It gives a complete experimental testing
of the thermoelectric refrigerator in the thermal resistance network. Not only that, it gives a complete idea of the Peltier device,
which forms the main application in a thermoelectric refrigerator. We have chosen this to study in detail on the effects and genuine
utilization of a Peltier device.

II. GAP ANALYSIS

In [1] Solar energy which is required for operation of solar refrigerator is not available round the clock. It is confined only to
the day time. and it also uses a lot of space. The more electricity you want to produce, the more solar panels you will need, as you
want to collect as much sunlight as possible. Solar PV panels require a lot of space and some roofs are not big enough to fit the
number of solar panels that you would like to have If you don’t have the space for all the panels that you wanted, you can opt for
installing fewer to still satisfy some of your energy needs.

In [2] it is related to air pollution Although pollution related to solar energy systems is far less compared to other sources of
energy, solar energy can be associated with pollution Transportation and installation of solar systems have been associated with
the emission of greenhouse gases. There are also some toxic materials and hazardous products used during the manufacturing
process of solar photovoltaic systems, which can indirectly affect the environment. Pollution can be a hinderance to solar panel
as pollution can degrade the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. Air pollution can rob the light needed for solar panels to make
electricity.

In [3] solar energy can be collected during cloudy and rainy days; the efficiency of the solar system drops. Solar panels are
dependent on sunlight to effectively gather solar energy. Therefore, a few cloudy, rainy days can have a noticeable effect on the
energy system. You should also take into account that solar energy cannot be collected during the night On the other hand, if you
also require your water heating solution to work at night or during wintertime, thermodynamic panels are an alternative to consider.
solar panels need light preferably sunlight to create energy. Although they can generate some energy from other light sources
such as street lights and even the moon, the output is very low. Because of this, solar panels go into sleep mode at night, i.e. they
become inactive and stop producing electricity.

In [4] solar energy can be stored in large batteries. These batteries, used in off-the-grid solar systems, can be charged during the
day so that the energy is used at night. This is a good solution for using solar energy all day long but it is also quite expensive in
most cases, it is smarter to just use solar energy during the day and take energy from the grid during the night (you can only do
this if your system is connected to the grid). Luckily the energy demand is usually higher during the day so you can meet most of
it with solar energy. Although the average solar installation prices have dramatically declined over the past 10 years, PV solar
panels are still relatively expensive. In fact, according to the EIA, solar is the most expensive form of electricity. For example, in
2020 the average solar system installation cost is $2.64/watt. In other words, a 6KW solar system will cost you around $15,840.

In [5] Refrigeration rate is quite slow and system consumes a lot of time, High initial cost of production.

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JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 0022-1945

III. METHODOLOGY

The above figure depicts the structure design of our device. The base of the prototype consists of two Lead-acid batteries
each of (12V) 7.5ah battery with discharge current up to 15A which has dimensions of 151mm x 93mm x 65mm and weighs
2650gm. The body of the refrigerator is designed using a high-quality plywood sheet whose sides’ measurement are 70cm X
50cm and whose top and bottom measurements are 50cm x 50cm. Aluminium sheets of 26 gauge are attached on to the inner
surface side of each plywood. In between the plywood and aluminium sheet, a liquid foam is poured that hardens after sometime
and maintain better heating and cooling retention. Two Thermoelectric modules of version TEC1-12706 are attached at the bottom
of the inner side of the refrigerator which controls the heating and cooling operations. These are attached on to the heat sink with
fan coolers (That helps rejecting the energy produced out of Peltier operation). These Peltier modules are powered by the battery
and controlled by IGBT and the Microcontroller. Beside the battery lies the solar panel having panel dimensions of 1.4 feet(height)
X 2.2 feet(width), monocrystalline module type and 50W power panel power output with 12V operating voltage. Temperature
sensor (LM35D) and humidity sensor (DHT11) are used in measuring temperature and humidity changes in the refrigeration
system and it is in turn controlled and monitored by the Microcontroller and its values are displayed using a 16 X 2 LCD module.
Voltage regulator ICs of two versions are used i.e., 7805 and 7812.

IV.CONCLUTION

The above reviews give out different methods and strategies used for serving the purpose of solar refrigerator. Our project
concludes that solar energy system must be implemented to overcome increasing electricity crisis. in this work, a portable solar
operated system unit was fabricated and tested for cooling and heating purpose. The system was designed based on the principle
of a thermoelectric module to create a hot side and cold side. The cold side of thermoelectric module was utilised for cooling
purpose whereas the rejected heat from the hot side of module was eliminated using heat sinks and fans. and hot side of
thermoelectric module was utilised for heating purpose. In order to utilise renewable energy, solar energy was integrated to power
the thermoelectric module in order to drive the system. Furthermore, the solar thermoelectric cooling and heating system avoids
any unnecessary electrical hazards and proves to be environmentally friendly.

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REFERENCES

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[6]. “Development and experimental study of solar powered thermoelectric system”, by Manoj Kumar Rawat, Prasanta Kumar Sen,
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[8]. “Thermoelectric Refrigeration by Using Solar Energy for Domestic Appliance”, by Umesh V. Sangale, Prof. PriyankaJhavar,
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[9].‟Solar Refrigerator For Vaccines In Rural Areas”, by Dr. V.Karthikeyan, L.Kalaivani, L.Naveena, B.Nivetha [5] G. Kavitha,”Driver
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[10].“Review on portable solar thermoelectric refrigerator cum air cooler”, by Manoj B. Dhawade, EktaMourya, AnuragYadav, David
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[11]. Rao, R. V., & Patel, V. (2013). Multi-objective optimization of two stage thermoelectric cooler using a modified teaching–learning-
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