Elnaggar Amal E M, Sharaf Soliman, Abedel Rehim Zeinab S, El-Bayoumi M A, Mustafa Hassan M M, El Zoghby Helmy M
National Research Centre, Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering and Renewable Energy Research Institute, Giza, Egypt.
Electrical Power and Machines Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt.
Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 1;14(1):22766. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-72500-1.
Energy scarcity in the world and the pollutants resulting from excessive use of conventional energy aroused the need for sustainable alternatives that are environment friendly. A multi-use thermoelectric refrigerator powered by solar energy to obtain the lowest consumption with the highest efficiency. The designed refrigerator is based on the Peltier effect using Peltier units where a temperature difference is created between the junctions by applying a voltage difference across the junction. This study investigates the performance of a refrigerator cooling system powered by a photovoltaic (PV) system. The research aims to assess the efficiency, effectiveness, and feasibility of utilizing solar energy to drive refrigeration, particularly in off-grid or environmentally conscious applications. Through a comprehensive experimental setup and data analysis, the study examines energy consumption, cooling efficiency, and overall system performance under varying conditions. The findings contribute valuable insights into the potential of PV-powered refrigerators as sustainable cooling solutions. It relies on a control unit that measures the resulting temperature to determine the appropriate connection mode to give the highest cooling efficiency. The average solar radiation when operating for 8 h, for the different seasons of the year was 149.5, 67.5, 119.3, and 118.3 w/m in summer, winter, spring, and fall, respectively. The average cooling energy consumption was 107.25, 137.04, 107, and 138.08 w for temperatures (20 ± 1, 15 ± 1, 20 ± 2, and 15 ± 2) °C respectively that proof solar radiation is sufficient to produce energy for the summer of cooling temperatures up to 15 °C, while in the spring and fall it is sufficient to 20 °C. The Fast not Eco mode is the least energy consuming and the fastest cooling, it can be used for rapid cooling at a short time less than an hour. The best mode in the case of continuous operation is the case of as next Eco mode cooling temperature of 20 ± 0.1 °C. The MATLAB Simulink model was developed to reduce the design cycle and facilitate the integration of solar photovoltaic with the TEC. The optimal operating point is identified through simulation and validated through experimental analysis, the optimal COP was 71.089% by Response surface methodology (RSM).
世界能源短缺以及传统能源过度使用所产生的污染物引发了对环境友好型可持续替代能源的需求。一种由太阳能驱动的多用途热电冰箱，以实现最低能耗和最高效率。所设计的冰箱基于珀尔帖效应，使用珀尔帖元件，通过在结两端施加电压差在结之间产生温差。本研究调查了由光伏（PV）系统供电的冰箱冷却系统的性能。该研究旨在评估利用太阳能驱动制冷的效率、有效性和可行性，特别是在离网或注重环保的应用中。通过全面的实验装置和数据分析，该研究考察了不同条件下的能耗、冷却效率和整体系统性能。研究结果为光伏驱动冰箱作为可持续冷却解决方案的潜力提供了有价值的见解。它依靠一个控制单元来测量产生的温度，以确定能给出最高冷却效率的合适连接模式。一年中不同季节运行8小时的平均太阳辐射量分别为：夏季149.5瓦/平方米、冬季67.5瓦/平方米、春季119.3瓦/平方米、秋季118.3瓦/平方米。对于温度分别为（20±1、15±1、20±2和15±）℃时，平均冷却能耗分别为107.25瓦、137.04瓦、107瓦和138.08瓦，这证明太阳辐射足以在夏季产生冷却温度高达15℃的能量，而在春季和秋季足以产生冷却温度达20℃的能量。快速非节能模式能耗最低且冷却速度最快，可用于在不到一小时的短时间内快速冷却。连续运行情况下的最佳模式是下一个节能模式冷却温度为20±0.1℃的情况。开发了MATLAB Simulink模型以缩短设计周期并促进太阳能光伏与热电冷却器的集成。通过仿真确定最佳运行点并通过实验分析进行验证，采用响应面方法（RSM）得到的最佳性能系数为71.089%。
