Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Photo voltaic Vitality Methods (ISE) has demonstrated how a solar-powered refrigeration unit and dryer may be self-sustaining and enhance meals safety in Kenya.
From pv journal International 04/23
In some elements of Africa, as much as 30% of agricultural or marine merchandise, akin to greens and fish, are broken on their method to market resulting from a scarcity of refrigeration or preservation services. That is due, largely, to the shortage of correct electrical energy infrastructure in rural areas.
With its SolCoolDry cooperative undertaking, Fraunhofer ISE has developed a facility for solar-assisted ice manufacturing and the photo voltaic drying of meals, in collaboration with the German firm Innotech Ingenieursgesellschaft mbH. Within the undertaking, funded by the German Federal Company for Agriculture and Meals, Fraunhofer ISE is collaborating with the state analysis physique the Kenya Industrial Analysis and Improvement Institute (KIRDI), the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Analysis Institute, and the Technical College of Mombasa.
The aim of the undertaking is to offer help to the native individuals and to develop a system that they’ll function on their very own. Since February 2023, the system is collectively operated by KIRDI and the Seashore Administration Unit, an affiliation of native fishermen, mangrove planters, agricultural and seaweed farmers, and beekeepers.
The core of the SolCoolDry system consists of a 15 kWp rooftop photovoltaic system and a 19.2 kWh lithium nickel, manganese, cobalt (NMC) battery. Three PV inverters feed electrical energy from the rooftop to a three-phase grid, which is powered by standalone battery inverters. The inverters additionally recharge the battery with extra solar energy, when wanted.
The flake ice machine and the ice storage room are powered by the minigrid. Whereas the ice machine runs on photo voltaic power alone, throughout the day, 550 kg of ice may be made. In an effort to use the bottom water accessible within the space, and thus be unbiased of the supply of exterior water, a water therapy system is at present being developed.
The SolCoolDry system additionally has two photo voltaic tunnel dryers the place the air is heated and distributed to the dry merchandise by followers all through the day. To proceed drying in a single day, one of many tunnel dryers has heating pipes. It’s given warmth from 12 m2 flat-plate thermal collector and a 2,000 liter sizzling water storage tank.
Sustainable operation
The extreme journey restrictions imposed on the peak of the Covid pandemic posed a problem for Fraunhofer’s German and Kenyan undertaking staff, making it unimaginable for the German companions to arrange the system on web site. Because of this, Fraunhofer ISE as a substitute created a video tutorial, which enabled the Kenyan undertaking companions to arrange the system largely on their very own; an fascinating studying course of for each side.
After Fraunhofer’s electrical commissioning, the system was formally handed over to native companions. A technician, at present being educated, will make sure the steady operation of the undertaking sooner or later. The consumer charge for the dryer and the revenue from the sale of the ice will cowl the upkeep of the plant to make sure the continuation of the undertaking. Fraunhofer ISE can even proceed to watch the plant’s efficiency. The information generated shall be recorded in a monitoring system to allow distant prognosis. This facet is essential for the extra assist of native companions in instances of upkeep and restore.
Meals safety
By cooling and drying fish and meat, in addition to greens, fruits, and different merchandise, farmers and fishermen can keep away from spoilage and produce extra merchandise to market. The primary weeks of trial operation proved to be of nice curiosity within the working plant.
The SolCoolDry plant has been very properly acquired by the native inhabitants and the demand for ice is larger than initially anticipated. Some fishermen drive as much as 50 km to get the ice. Just like the ice machine, the drying plant additionally operates constantly and is used to dry meat, fish, fruits, greens, and flowers for making tea. Meals preservation permits farmers and fishermen to promote their produce out of season, thus making a safer revenue base and producing larger revenue. In extra programs, fishermen shall be educated in high quality assurance and hygienic processing of their merchandise.
The SolCoolDry system is a “lighthouse” undertaking. There are only a few autonomous photo voltaic programs of this kind in Kenya thus far. Subsequently, the curiosity within the expertise is excessive and the aim is to be taught from the operation of the system and to make suggestions for future installations.
Concerning the authors: Alexander Morgenstern and Norbert Pfanner undertaking managers of the SolCoolDry system for Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg, Germany.
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