Abstract
This experimental study analyzed the use of solar photovoltaic energy for operating a novel twin-circuit DC milk chiller without batteries using water-based cold thermal energy storage for different seasons in Chennai, India. HFC-134a and HC-600a were used as refrigerants in the two individual circuits. For each season, the test was conducted continuously for 18days to analyze the quantity of generated ice that could be utilized to chill 10 L of milk in the morning and in the evening. The average quantity of ice formed per day in the ice bank during monsoon, winter, and summer seasons was found to be 3.61, 19.75, and 27.97kg, respectively. Thus, it is evident that the use of solar energy with thermal energy storage is effective for operating the milk chilling unit for two seasons, namely winter and summer. However, the system requires an additional power source for continuous operation during the monsoon season. It is noteworthy to mention that the use of a solar milk chiller instead of a conventional milk chiller resulted in 91.15% lesser CO2 emission with 27.6% less LCC. In this study, solar photovoltaic power was observed to be a good choice for chilling milk in the context of global warming and energy consumption. The use of thermal energy storage also allows the initial cost to be reduced.
Highlights
The demand for refrigeration for cooling/freezing and food preservation is continuously increasing because of improving living standards and economic development throughout the world (Albayati et al 2020)
We examined the feasibility of a solar PV powered twin-circuit direct current (DC) compressor milk chiller with water-based thermal energy storage (TES) under different climatic conditions
The feasibility of a novel twin-circuit (HFC-134a and HC-600a) DC compressor milk chiller with waterbased TES operated by solar PV was studied under different climatic conditions in Chennai, India
Summary
The demand for refrigeration for cooling/freezing and food preservation is continuously increasing because of improving living standards and economic development throughout the world (Albayati et al 2020). According to the International Institute of Refrigeration, approximately 1.5 billion domestic refrigerators and freezers are used globally (Coulomb et al 2015), and each system requires approximately 450 kWh of power annually (Barthel and Gotz 2012). This results in annual greenhouse gas emissions of more than 480 million tons of CO2-eq, which is 4% of the global electricity demand (Coulomb et al 2015). Refrigeration plays a vital role in reducing loses related to milk spoilage and aids in improving the quality of milk, thereby allowing an access to new markets and services. The use of VCR system is very important for cooling raw milk to 4–5 oC within 2–3 hours to control its microbial count and maintain its quality (FAO and WHO 2011)
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