Experimental Study of the Feasibility and Performance of a Cold Storage Facility Powered by Solar Photovoltaic Energy in Off-Grid Locations in the Saharan Climate: the Adrar Region

Abstract

The work presents the feasibility and performance study of an autonomous cold room powered by photovoltaic energy, adapted for preserving agricultural products in the Saharan region, particularly in off-grid areas. An experimental test was conducted over two consecutive days to evaluate the system’s performance with a water load of 400 liters. For the first day, the results showed that, with an average evaporation temperature of –1.12°C and an average ambient temperature of 40.2°C, the cooling capacity produced is 5.23 kW, and the compressor consumption is 1.215 kW, resulting in a COP of approximately 4.33. The second day, under operating conditions defined by an average evaporation temperature of 1.12°C and an average ambient temperature of 41.30°C, the cooling capacity produced by the cycle is 5.75 kW, and the compressor consumption is 1.213 kW, corresponding to the COP of approximately 4.47. The temperature of the load (water) decreased from 32 to 10.5°C in 48 h, while the air temperature inside the cold storage decreased from 31°C and stabilized in the range of 6 to 12°C in one hour and 23 min. The average temperature gradient between the outer surface and the inner surface of the cold storage ceiling is significant (14.5°C), indicating that the thermal insulation thickness of the walls was well optimized. Regarding superheating, the results obtained are better because it falls within the superheating ideal range (5–10°C). The results obtained in this study are satisfactory for integrating the solar photovoltaic cooling technology in off-grid areas.