PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF AN EVAPORATIVE CHARCOAL COOLER UTILIZING THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM FOR PRESERVATION OF AVOCADO

Victor K. Langat, Christopher L. Kanali, Erick K. Ronoh, Stephen N. Ondimu, Samuel N. Ndirangu, Tony Roskilly, Mohammad Royapoor and Paul Laidler

International Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Research, 2022, vol. 8, issue 2

Abstract: Fruits are high moisture agricultural produce rendering them highly perishable hence the danger of postharvest losses is also lurking when there are inadequate storage facilities. The losses result from physical, chemical, and physiological changes that are triggered by the loss in moisture content. Preservation of fruits using available and affordable technologies (such as charcoal coolers) can benefit small-scale farmers in minimizing postharvest losses. An evaporative charcoal cooler 4 m long, 4 m wide, and 2.5 m high providing a 40 m3 storage capacity was utilized in the study. The cooler with a 150 mm wide cavity filled with charcoal had a perforated pipe connected to a 1000-litrecistern raised at 2.5 m above the ground and connected to a water pump (Pedrollo PKm 60, Italy) that kept the charcoal wet by a drip system. The pump and the three axial fans (REC-21725 A2 W, USA) rated 180 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and 2600 revolutions per minute (RPM) were powered by fast fold thin-film PV (FFMAT-10, Renovagen, UK) system connected to a 10-kWh rated energy hub (FFENERGYHUB-10, Renovagen, UK). Temperature, relative humidity and product quality parameters (weight loss, total soluble solids, vitamin C content and firmness were evaluated).The evaporative cooler temperatures reduced significantly (P<0.05) with an average 25.0±0.37 oC and 32.1±0.99 ºC outdoors temperatures. The cooler relative humidity increased significantly (P˂0.05) averaging 76.8±1.6% and 43±2.8% for ambient conditions. The average cooling efficiency in the charcoal cooler was 83.0%.The percentage weight loss of the avocado was 3.9% and 7.5% for the cooler and outdoors respectively. The percentage vitamin C loss was 39.0% for the cooler and 49.6% for those kept outside. The total soluble solids in the cooler rose from 0.5 to 1.6 oBrix and 0.5 to 2.6 oBrix in ambient conditions. Firmness decreased from an average 65.0 N to 10.7 N and 65.0 N to 8.0 N after 12 days for samples in the cooler and ambient conditions, respectively. In conclusion, the evaporative charcoal cooler incorporated with thin-film PV system preserved the postharvest quality and extended the shelf life of hass avocado.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Agricultural and Food Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ijaeri:333836

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.333836

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