Design of a Cooling System Integrated with Ultraviolet Light for Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables at Variable Tropical Weather Conditions: A Case Study of Arusha, Tanzania

John Pyuza Gunda, Alexander Pogrebnoi, Baraka Kichonge
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Abstract

Post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables pose significant challenges, especially in tropical climates. This study introduces the development and performance evaluation of a solar-powered evaporative cooling storage system integrated with ultraviolet light (UV) designed for preservation of perishable fruits and vegetables. The cooling chamber supplied with ultraviolet lamp was developed using locally available materials such as sisal, sponge, and bricks. The performance of the system was evaluated in terms of air temperature decrease, relative humidity increase, and evaporative cooling power capacity both for sunny and cloudy tropical weather conditions. The study reveals that activating the UV light considerably extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. The system was able to extend the shelf life of perishable products by up to 21 days when exposed to ultraviolet light and by 9 days when not exposed to ultraviolet light. On sunny days, active system operation leads to an average temperature reduction of 5.0 °C, along with a relative humidity increase of 23%. On the contrary, on cloudy days, the cooling impact diminishes slightly, resulting in temperature decrease of approximately 3.5 °C and relative humidity increase of 18%. These findings emphasize the potential of the solar-powered evaporative cooling system, combined with UV light treatment, as a viable approach to combat post-harvest losses in tropical environments.
在多变的热带气候条件下保存水果和蔬菜的综合紫外线冷却系统的设计:以坦桑尼亚阿鲁沙为例
水果和蔬菜收获后的损失构成了重大挑战,特别是在热带气候地区。本研究介绍了一种用于易腐水果和蔬菜保鲜的太阳能蒸发冷却与紫外线(UV)相结合的储存系统的研制和性能评价。配备紫外线灯的冷却室使用当地可用的材料,如剑麻、海绵和砖块。对该系统的性能进行了评估,包括在晴天和多云的热带天气条件下的空气温度降低、相对湿度增加和蒸发冷却功率。研究表明,激活紫外线可以大大延长水果和蔬菜的保质期。该系统能够将易腐产品暴露在紫外线下的保质期延长21天,未暴露在紫外线下的保质期延长9天。在晴天,主动系统运行导致平均温度降低5.0°C,相对湿度增加23%。相反,在阴天,冷却影响略有减弱,导致温度下降约3.5°C,相对湿度增加18%。这些发现强调了太阳能蒸发冷却系统与紫外线处理相结合的潜力,作为对抗热带环境中收获后损失的可行方法。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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