Modification of a 220-V vapor compression refrigeration system to a 12-V photovoltaic solar-powered refrigeration system for cooling beverages: Modification process, performance, modeling, and economic evaluation
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Abstract
This paper presented the modification of a conventional 220-V vapor compression refrigeration system to a 12-V photovoltaic (PV) solar-powered refrigeration system for cooling beverages in Thailand. The modified system mainly comprised a vapor compression refrigeration unit with the same cooling volume as that of the conventional system. The modification included the change of a 220-V AC compressor to a 12-V DC compressor, the change of 220-V AC fans to 12-V DC fans, and the addition of two 535-W PV modules, four batteries, and a charge controller to the system. Twenty experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the conventional and the modified systems. The comparison of load temperature of both systems revealed that the conventional system reached the set temperature more rapidly than the modified system. The load temperature of the modified system can be reduced from about 30°C to 10-12 °C within 12 h for most cases. Experimental data were also used to model the modified system. The model predicted well the load temperature with the discrepancy, in terms of root mean square difference of 3.1%. The modified system has the payback period of 11.21 years.
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