Performance and Economic Evaluation of Solar Photovoltaic Powered Cooling System for Potato Storage

This paper presents the design, fabrication and economic evaluation of solar photovoltaic (SPV) powered vapour compression refrigeration system to attain favourable conditions for potato storage under different operating conditions. The system is consisted of PV panel (490 W), leadacid battery, 1 kW inverter and 0.18 TR (tonnes refrigeration) vapour compression system. The 2.50 m 3 cold storage structure was constructed and insulated with proper materials. An evaporatively cooled storage structure (1.0 m 3 ) was used for curing process. The cured potato cultivar (Kufri Chandermukhi) was stored for 5 months. The power output of the panel was measured under no-load, on-load, with and without recirculation of air inside cold store. The average daily SPV energy output and energy consumption by the load were 5.65 and 4.115 kWh, respectively, under full load. It was found that the output power was oversized the load demanded by the cooling system on full load by an average of 26.53%. The obtained results indicated that, the average daily actual COP for loaded and air circulated cold storage structure was 3.25. The average temperature and relative humidity maintained inside the loaded and air circulated storage structure were 283.13 K and 86 %, respectively The total cost of curing and storing 1.0 kg of potatoes inside 2.5 m 3 cold store operated by subsidized PV system, considering the weight loss of potatoes at 6%, would be Rs. 9.02 (1US $ = 46 Rs). While the total cost for the same system operated by grid electricity (Rs. 3.5/kWh) and petrol-kerosene generator (Rs. 10.47/kWh) would be 7.66 and 14.63 Rs./kg, respectively.

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