Author(s): Deep P Patel, Neha Prajapat, Divyesh Rameshbhai Vaghela and Sanjay Kumar Jain

Abstract: A portable solar-assisted evaporative cool chamber with a storage capacity of 250 kg of fruits and vegetables was developed and powered by two solar photovoltaic panels of 100 W, a 12 V battery of 150 Ah capacity, a charge controller, two DC exhaust fans of 7.4 W and a DC submersible water pump of 9 W. The highest temperature drop of 17 ºC and relative humidity rise of 70.1 per cent with saturation efficiency of 98.48 per cent was observed during the testing of the developed ECC (evaporative cool chamber), which was quite promising for the storage of fruits and vegetables. For commercialization of the developed technology, it is essential to know whether the technology is economically viable or not. Therefore, the main focus of the current investigation was to evaluate the techno-economic aspects of the portable solar-assisted evaporative cool chamber. This evaluation included key factors such as net present worth (NPW), payback period, and benefit-cost ratio.

Pages: 519-522 | Views: 152 | Downloads: 4

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