Development and Performance Analysis of an Automated Solar-Powered Thermoelectric Refrigeration System

Abstract

A compressor is the most power-consuming component in a refrigeration system, and energy scarcity in the form of electricity has become a grave challenge in today’s world. Replacing the compressor with solar-powered clean energy could be an efficient alternative to reduce energy consumption significantly. The system presented comprises a Solar-powered Thermal Refrigeration System based on the Peltier Effect, functioning on a cooling module. Since the system is solar-powered, an automatic solar tracker that incorporates Light Dependent Resistors and a servo motor is integrated to supply maximum power by continuously orienting the panel in the direction of sunlight and thus always keeping it charged. This research aims to analyse the performance of a solar-powered thermoelectric refrigeration system. The model developed is a promising alternative for domestic refrigerators, accounting for a 44–63% drop in power consumption to cool a commensurate capacity refrigerator of 2.6L. From definitive experimentation, the lowest temperature of 15.15°C was achieved within the refrigeration chamber after powering the circuit for 136 seconds. Initially, the air inside the refrigeration chamber at 22.48°C (ambient temperature) was dropped by 7.33°C. A high COP of 0.54 is achieved on experimentation.