Abstract
A solar based cold storage unit for the preservation of food products is an excellent way to reduce post-harvest losses at lower energy costs. Energy optimization is essential to improve the reliability of the system. In the case of cooling, a major factor to reduce energy consumption is the uniform distribution of air inside the cooling chamber to maintain the even temperature of stored products. For this, a detailed thermal analysis is required to analyse the cooling process for energy saving and optimum conditions. In the current study, an energy and exergy based thermal analysis of a solar assisted cold storage unit is presented. A parametric investigation and a proper understanding about the influence of thermodynamics on the cooling process were obtained. All the experimentally calculated parameters (energy utilized, energy utilization ratio, energy loss and exergy efficiency) were subjected to a model curve fitting using Sigmaplot-12 and a polynomial cubic model was found best fitted based on the values of coefficient of determination. Thermal analysis showed variations in the rate of energy utilization, energy utilization ratio, exergy losses and exergy efficiency in the range of 3–18 kJ/s, 0.37–0.80, 0.8–2.25 kJ/s and 40–60%, respectively. The average value of COP of the system was found to be 3.95.
Highlights
In this study a detailed thermal analysis was performed on a 4.5-ton capacity cold storage unit to assess energy distribution and to define the optimum operating conditions to save energy
It can be observed that the energy utilization ratios (EUR) of the cooling chamber reduced as the cooling time proceeded due to the variation in the temperature differences of chamber and ambient temperatures
The overall scenario of the exergy analysis of a solar assisted cold storage unit is shown is cess, the energy utilization values ranged from 3 kJ/s to 18 kJ/s
Summary
The current total estimated capacity of cold storage for fruit and vegetables in Pakistan is 0.85 million tons, 90% of which exist in big cities, such as Punjab. Cooling is an energy intensive unit operation. A reduction in energy consumption and the utilisation of sustainable and renewable energy technologies are essential in order to meet the increasing demand for cooling, using environmentally friendly methods [2]. The optimization of a newly developed system is essential In this regard, a thermal-based system requires a detailed thermal analysis. Thermal analysis, especially energetic analysis, is a method used to assess the performance of the processes and investigate exergy at various positions in the system’s components using energy conversion. In this study a detailed thermal analysis was performed on a 4.5-ton capacity cold storage unit to assess energy distribution and to define the optimum operating conditions to save energy
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