Optimization of the production and storage of cold in a mechanical compression solar refrigerator

Design, optimization and realization of high-performance photovoltaic systems are topical issues. Especially in photovoltaic solar refrigeration machines, the cost and the lifetime of electrochemical batteries limit the development of these systems in places well served by solar radiation. The objective of the present study is to limit the action of the electrochemical battery in mechanical compression solar refrigeration systems by cold storage in a phase change material. From the cooling tests on a quantity of water bags, replacing the vaccines, we evaluated the overall energy consumption of the refrigerator, and the effect of the addition of a 24 liter-cold battery, placed inside a 150 liter-refrigerated enclosure. This action significantly reduced the daily energy consumption of the refrigerator from 59 to 34 Ah.d−1, a reduction of 42%. In addition, the thermal energy stored by the cold battery during this process made it possible to maintain the temperature of the water bags between 2°C and 8°C for more than 6.5 days without supplying electrical energy. The cold storage by latent heat of solidification not only improves the internal thermal inertia of the refrigerator, but also replaces a portion of the electrical energy of the photovoltaic generator.