Solar Powered Movable Refrigerated Storage Structure for Fruits and Vegetables

A Solar powered movable refrigerated storage structure (1000 kg capacity) was designed and developed for storage of fresh fruits and vegetables to increase their shelf life. Two different materials such as galvanized iron sheet and polycarbonate sheet were used to fabricate the structure with glass wool filled to provide insulation and reduce the heat loss. Solar photovoltaic (SPV) system consisting of 6 solar modules of 100 Wp power each with solar inverter and batteries was used to power the refrigerated storage An average solar power of 2.07 kWh was produced by the system. The temperature in the refrigerated storage was reduced up to 19°C as compared to the ambient temperature. Temperature and relative humidity inside the system ranged from 18°C-25°C and 25%-58%, respectively. This environment helped in keeping the vegetables fresh for significantly longer time. The solar refrigerator is very useful for rural areas where there is shortage of electricity or its supply is erratic for storage of fresh fruits and vegetables.