LOW COST SOLAR POWERED

COLD STORAGE SYSTEM

MPE/OO1/15 : JOSHUA MAINA
MPE/002/15 : CAROLINE WANGUI
 INTRODUCTION

• There is always an excess of fresh produce during the rainy season much
of which goes to waste due to lack of proper preservation.
• In the absence of preservation technologies , small scale farmers are
forced to sell their produce immediately after harvest resulting in
surpluses and low price in the market .
• Currently, no refrigeration system is affordable to small scale farmers and
these calls for an innovation of an efficient, cost-effective solar powered
cold storage facility for storing fresh produce which is ideal for rural
areas where there is a certain limit of mains power supply.
• Solar energy-based refrigeration system is relevant to Kenyan weather
because most parts of the country experience good amount of sun
energy throughout the year 
 PROBLEM STATEMENT
• Fresh produce post-harvest losses are
pronounced in rural areas due to lack of cold
storage facilities.
 
 
 OBJECTIVES
Main Objective
• To design, develop and test a prototype of a
low cost solar cold storage for fresh produce.
Specific objectives
•  To design vapor absorption refrigeration
system
• To fabricate the system
• To test the system
 LITERATURE REVIEW
• The idea of using renewable energy for
refrigeration purposes is not a new one; in
particular solar energy has been suggested as a
power source globally in phase with the
refrigeration demand.
• vapour absorption refrigeration cycle is
commonly used where waste heat is available
for instance source of heat being exhaust
steam in a power plant and flue gases .
 FLOW DIAGRAM
heat

condenser Vapor NH3 generator

  Liquid NH3
Heat
Expansion exchanger
valve
pump

NH3 Vapor
evaporator absorber
The temperature limits for a vapour
absorption refrigeration cycle are as
follows
 Generator temperature -73-83 C
 Absorber temperature -38-46 c
 Condenser temperature -38 c
 Evaporator temperature -5 c
In this system ,water is used as a
condensing medium at 25-35 c.
 METHODOLOGY
• Designing of the components:
 Generator
 Condenser
 Evaporator
 Absorber
 EXPECTED RESULTS
• At the end of the project, we should be able to design , fabricate
and test a cost-effective solar powered refrigeration system
having obtained data related to factors such as its efficiency and
performance, cost, benefits and effects to the environment.
Essentially, we expect that the problem of post-harvest losses
will be solved .

• We ought to have dealt with current refrigeration systems cost

and adverse effects to the environment. The use of renewable
energy will reduce dependency on grid supply which not only
address cost but also reduce carbon footprint and non-
renewable energy depletion.