Design and performance analysis of portable solar powered cooler for vaccine storage
Abstract The efficacy of vaccine storage is significantly impacted by temperature fluctuations within the cooler, often exacerbated by using phase change materials in existing cooler designs for remote areas. These materials can undergo uneven melting and phase separation, leading to temperature ins...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Energy Science & Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.1915 |
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| author | Vicent Marwa Thomas Kivevele Baraka Kichonge Juma Selemani |
| author_facet | Vicent Marwa Thomas Kivevele Baraka Kichonge Juma Selemani |
| author_sort | Vicent Marwa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The efficacy of vaccine storage is significantly impacted by temperature fluctuations within the cooler, often exacerbated by using phase change materials in existing cooler designs for remote areas. These materials can undergo uneven melting and phase separation, leading to temperature instability and vaccine potency loss. In response to this challenge, the present study introduces a novel design of a portable, locally‐made solar‐powered cooler optimized for longer storage periods. The cooler's performance in terms of temperature distribution, airflow dynamics, and the coefficient of performance (COP) is meticulously examined through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The simulated results were validated using experimental data from the open literature, ensuring accuracy and reliability. The findings indicate that the developed cooler achieves significant improvements over traditional models. For instance, the current model reaches a temperature of +12°C in just 84 min, compared to 208 min, as reported in the literature results. Moreover, the current model reaches a temperature of −12°C in 195 min and it has energy efficient with a COP of 4.5. Statistical analysis further confirms the reliability of the simulation results, with root mean square and mean absolute percentage errors of 6.587 and 24.2%, respectively. Additionally, a comparative study of five insulative materials highlights polyurethane (Po) as the top performer, with a heat transfer performance of 14.3%, followed by feather fiber (Fe) (18.7%), fly ash (Fl) (19.8%), fiberglass (Fi) (21.9%), and coconut fiber (Co) (25.9%). Notably, net present value (NPV) of $689.336 and $448.01 was obtained for economic analysis of the current model over the existing model, showing the feasibility of the study. Hence, the cooler's effectiveness in storing vaccines in isolated regions exceeds that of conventional models, providing a hopeful solution to tackle vital challenges in vaccine distribution and preservation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-10d327e111fb4c1697d474482788221e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-0505 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energy Science & Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-10d327e111fb4c1697d474482788221e2025-01-06T14:45:33ZengWileyEnergy Science & Engineering2050-05052024-11-0112114965499010.1002/ese3.1915Design and performance analysis of portable solar powered cooler for vaccine storageVicent Marwa0Thomas Kivevele1Baraka Kichonge2Juma Selemani3School of Materials, Energy, Water, and Environmental Sciences The Nelson Mandela African Institutional of Science and Technology Arusha TanzaniaSchool of Materials, Energy, Water, and Environmental Sciences The Nelson Mandela African Institutional of Science and Technology Arusha TanzaniaSchool of Materials, Energy, Water, and Environmental Sciences The Nelson Mandela African Institutional of Science and Technology Arusha TanzaniaSchool of Materials, Energy, Water, and Environmental Sciences The Nelson Mandela African Institutional of Science and Technology Arusha TanzaniaAbstract The efficacy of vaccine storage is significantly impacted by temperature fluctuations within the cooler, often exacerbated by using phase change materials in existing cooler designs for remote areas. These materials can undergo uneven melting and phase separation, leading to temperature instability and vaccine potency loss. In response to this challenge, the present study introduces a novel design of a portable, locally‐made solar‐powered cooler optimized for longer storage periods. The cooler's performance in terms of temperature distribution, airflow dynamics, and the coefficient of performance (COP) is meticulously examined through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The simulated results were validated using experimental data from the open literature, ensuring accuracy and reliability. The findings indicate that the developed cooler achieves significant improvements over traditional models. For instance, the current model reaches a temperature of +12°C in just 84 min, compared to 208 min, as reported in the literature results. Moreover, the current model reaches a temperature of −12°C in 195 min and it has energy efficient with a COP of 4.5. Statistical analysis further confirms the reliability of the simulation results, with root mean square and mean absolute percentage errors of 6.587 and 24.2%, respectively. Additionally, a comparative study of five insulative materials highlights polyurethane (Po) as the top performer, with a heat transfer performance of 14.3%, followed by feather fiber (Fe) (18.7%), fly ash (Fl) (19.8%), fiberglass (Fi) (21.9%), and coconut fiber (Co) (25.9%). Notably, net present value (NPV) of $689.336 and $448.01 was obtained for economic analysis of the current model over the existing model, showing the feasibility of the study. Hence, the cooler's effectiveness in storing vaccines in isolated regions exceeds that of conventional models, providing a hopeful solution to tackle vital challenges in vaccine distribution and preservation.https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.1915insulative materialsimulationtemperature distributionvaccine storage |
| spellingShingle | Vicent Marwa Thomas Kivevele Baraka Kichonge Juma Selemani Design and performance analysis of portable solar powered cooler for vaccine storage Energy Science & Engineering insulative material simulation temperature distribution vaccine storage |
| title | Design and performance analysis of portable solar powered cooler for vaccine storage |
| title_full | Design and performance analysis of portable solar powered cooler for vaccine storage |
| title_fullStr | Design and performance analysis of portable solar powered cooler for vaccine storage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design and performance analysis of portable solar powered cooler for vaccine storage |
| title_short | Design and performance analysis of portable solar powered cooler for vaccine storage |
| title_sort | design and performance analysis of portable solar powered cooler for vaccine storage |
| topic | insulative material simulation temperature distribution vaccine storage |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.1915 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vicentmarwa designandperformanceanalysisofportablesolarpoweredcoolerforvaccinestorage AT thomaskivevele designandperformanceanalysisofportablesolarpoweredcoolerforvaccinestorage AT barakakichonge designandperformanceanalysisofportablesolarpoweredcoolerforvaccinestorage AT jumaselemani designandperformanceanalysisofportablesolarpoweredcoolerforvaccinestorage |