Ideassonline.org

SOLAREF, 100% autonomous solar ice fridge
Autonomous solar ice fridges in practice

During day, the solar collector generates vapor which is transformed into water by the condenser.

During night, this water goes up in the collector by generating sufficient cold (by evaporation) to create ice in the tank.

More it's hot during the day, more stock of ice grows during the night. This cycle functions work in closed circuit under vacuum. The refrigerant fluid used is water, and the material used to create evaporation (by adsorption) is a natural desiccant.

The system is totally neutral and respects the environment without any pollution (directly or indirectly), until the end of life of the product.

The stock of ice is calculated to preserve a temperature of conservation up to 3 days without sun (established in Sahel climate with 43°C the day and 34°C the night) after 5 first sunny days.

All technological parts are situated in the closed vacuum circuit and must be manufactured with care. The assembly and the installation can be made by operators beforehand trained.
Technological parts are packed in kit in destination to the services centers created by Solaref. This concept of cooperative trade can be generalized everywhere around the world, notably in sunny and isolated countries.

The production of the solar ice requires solar sensors. Those, cover a surface of 1m². And, obviously, more one wishes a solar ice fridge of great capacity, more the number of sensors necessary is tall. It will thus be necessary to find a space sufficiently large and sunny to accommodate them (the roof of a house is extremely recommended).

The weight of each solar collector of 1m² is of approximately 100kg, and that of the cold compartment is of approximately 60kg (empty contents) for a capacity of 70 liters. The displacement of a solar ice fridge is so difficult after its installation. In the same way, the junction between the solar sensor(s) and the cold compartment being realized in rigid piping, the position of the elements of the refrigerator must remain fixed.

The autonomous solar ice fridges do not comprise control electronics of temperature inside the cold compartment. This one remains nevertheless included between 0°C and +6°C up to 3 days without sun, thanks to the own-produced stock of ice (for a dimensioning of the refrigerator adapted to its conditions of use).

Such as shown previously, solar thermal fridges don’t need any distributed energy. That eliminates problems of storage of tins of gasoline or gas, that eliminates problems of plunders of these tins or P.V. solar sensors, that eliminates problems of their supplies.

Thanks to the absence of mechanical parts in movement, electric or electronic system, harmful gases or polluting materials, refrigerators are more durable than any other adopted technical method to solve the same issue.

Sample in African conditions of use (43°C the day, 30°C the night) :

200 litres

SOLAREF Model	Capacity of the cold compartment	Solar thermal sensor
SR70	70 litres	1x1m²
SR200		2x1m²