Design and implementation of solar powered mini refrigerator using thermoelectric cooler module

Abstract

Remote areas are known for lack of conventional electrical power supply. But it is a common phenomenon to find health centres in remote areas, where vaccination campaigns are done regularly. Due to small populations, vaccines opened cannot be completely used and some usually get bad. The objective of this project is to design and implement a portable and energy efficient refrigerator for preservation of vaccines in medical centres found in remote areas where electric power supply is absent. The novelty of this work is on the use of planks, which are local materials and cheap for the construction of the frame of the refrigerator. The experimental method is used, that helps to determine the functional operation of the system and the limit to which the system functions. The main component of the refrigerator is the thermoelectric cooler module tec1-12706.The system is tested under various conditions such as simultaneous use of PV module and storage battery as source of electrical energy. The absence of cooling fan on the hot side of tec1-12706.The results show that the temperature of the system reduces from 280 C to 50c within one hour of operation. And the temperature of the hot side of the tec1-12706 module increases drastically within 15 minutes of operation if there is an absence of fan on the hot side. With this the module is easily damaged. From the literature review, the COP is maximum0.6 but the present work raises the COP to 0.7.this is done by reducing the input energy. It is then recommended that the system should not be operated without a fan attached to the hot side of the tec1 module.