Development and performance evaluation of solar absorption cold storage system for tropical climates

The popularity of solar cold storage systems is on the rise, driven by the increasing demand for cooling solutions that are both environmental friendly and energy-efficient. Absorption refrigeration system for cold storage is powered by solar energy. It integrates 12 kW solar evacuated tube collectors and 12 kW photovoltaic systems to produce hot water and electricity, respectively. A solar cold storage system with a capacity of 3.5 kW has been designed, developed, and investigated. The present study examines heat load in various operating parameters influencing the performance of a solar cold storage system such as solar radiance, collector, generator, absorber, condenser, evaporator heat load, etc. To enhance the efficiency of the vapour absorption refrigeration system, a combination of R134a and DMF is used as the working fluid. The collector field generated an average hot water temperature of 110 °C in the June-July months of 2023 with an average solar radiation of 623 kW/m2 at ϕ = 11.539°N and λ = 79.479°E. The generator has an average heat transfer coefficient ranging from 1500 to 3000 W/m2K. The absorber shows a significant enhancement in the average heat and mass transfer coefficients with the mean values 1477 W/m2K and 0.0013 m/s, respectively. •3.5 kW compact solar cold storage system was developed and tested at CARD/NLC India.•The vapour absorption refrigeration for cold storage, powered by both solar PV and collectors.•Performance study on a system with R134a & DMF as working fluids conducted.