Solar-Hybrid Cold Energy Storage System Coupled with Cooling Pads Backup: A Step towards Decentralized Storage of Perishables

Anjum Munir, Tallha Ashraf, Waseem Amjad, Abdul Ghafoor, Sidrah Rehman, Aman Ullah Malik, Oliver Hensel, Muhammad Sultan and Tatiana Morosuk
Additional contact information
Anjum Munir: Department of Energy Systems Engineering, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Tallha Ashraf: Department of Energy Systems Engineering, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Waseem Amjad: Department of Energy Systems Engineering, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Abdul Ghafoor: Department of Farm Machinery and Power, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Sidrah Rehman: Department of Energy Systems Engineering, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Aman Ullah Malik: Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Oliver Hensel: Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, University of Kassel, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Muhammad Sultan: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Tatiana Morosuk: Institute for Energy Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Marchstr. 18, 10587 Berlin, Germany

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-20

Abstract: Post-harvest loss is a serious issue to address challenge of food security. A solar-grid hybrid cold storage system was developed and designed for on-farm preservation of perishables. Computational Fluid Dynamic analysis was performed to assess airflow and temperature distribution inside the cold chamber. The system comprises a 21.84 m 3 cubical cold storage unit with storage capacity of 2 tonnes. A hybrid solar system comprising 4.5 kWp PV system, 5 kW hybrid inverter, and 600 Ah battery bank was used to power the entire system. A vapor-compression refrigeration system (2 tonnes) was employed coupled with three cooling pads (filled with brine solution) as thermal backup to store cooling (−4 °C to 4 °C). Potatoes were stored at 8 °C for a period of three months (May 2019 to July 2019) and the system was tested on grid utility, solar, and hybrid modes. Solar irradiation was recorded in range of 5.0–6.0 kWh/(m 2 × d) and average power peak was found to be 4.0 kW. Variable frequency drive was installed with compressor to eliminate the torque load and it resulted about 9.3 A AC current used by the system with 4.6 average Coefficient of Performance of refrigeration unit. The average energy consumed by system was found to be 15 kWh with a share of 4.3 kWh from grid and 10.5 kWh from solar, translating to 30% of power consumption from grid and 70% from solar PV modules. Overall, cold storage unit efficiently controlled total weight loss (7.64%) and preserved quality attributes (3.6 ⁰Brix Total soluble solids, 0.83% Titratable acidity, 6.32 PH) of the product during storage time.

Keywords: solar cooling; post-harvest food losses; decentralized food storage; cooling pads (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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