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Performance evaluation of novel solar-powered domestic air cooler with Peltier modules

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Abstract

Shifting of air conditioning and ventilation plants from conventional to renewable energy systems is one of the effective ways to save energy and attain sustainability. In this experimental study, an effort has been made to design, fabricate, and evaluate the cooling performance of a solar-powered domestic air cooler with Peltier plates to meet the comfort criteria as per ASHRAE standards. It also investigates the effect of Peltier modules on the performance of conventional room air cooler. The experiments were conducted in a 12×12 room with one, two, three, and four Peltier modules operating at various ambient temperatures. The experiments were repeated three times at specified conditions. Peltier effect was used to decrease water temperature, and subsequently cooled water was used to decrease the temperature of the air after coming in contact with this water. The cooled air was then used to create a comfort zone. The results indicated a decrease in temperature of the experimental zone by 5 %, 13 %, 19 %, and 23 % using one, two, three, and four Peltier modules respectively. The increase in relative humidity was recorded as 5 % at 27 °C temperature of the experimental zone. The results of energy analysis showed a substantial amount of energy savings in this study and suggest that more than 200 MW energy can be saved by replacing conventional electric air coolers all over the country with proposed Peltier based domestic solar powered air cooler.

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Abbreviations

CO :

Degree centigrade

MW:

MegaWatt

A/C:

Air condtioner

HVAC:

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning

DC:

Direct current

kW:

KilloWatt

MDD:

Memory dependent derivative

µ(eV):

Micro electron volt

PVC:

Photovoltec cell

CLTD:

Cooling load temperature difference

CLTDc:

Corrected cooling load temperature difference

Q:

Heat

A:

Area

tr :

Room temperature

U:

Overall heat transfer

ta :

Avergage temperature ofsorrounding

ft:

Foot

FO :

Degree fahrenheit

LM:

Latitude and month correction

DR :

Daily temperature range

to :

Outside design dry bulb temperature

PST:

Pakistan standard time

Btu:

British thermal unit

Hr:

Hour

m:

Meter

CFM:

Cubic feet meter

SHGF:

Solar heat gain factor

SC:

Shading coefficient

CLF:

Cooling load factor

BF:

Ballast factor

V:

Volt

W:

Watt

mm:

Millimeter

RPM:

Revolution per minute

RH:

Relitive humidity

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

PKR:

Pakistani rupees

Kwh:

Killowatt hour

hp:

Horse power

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Acknowledgments

The authors are pleased to acknowledge the efforts of the students of the Mechanical Engineering Department regarding the design of experimental setup and pay gratitude to the director of the institute for promoting the research culture. And any organization or person did not fund this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan, Punjab Pakistan, 60000, Pakistan

    Zafar Abbas, M. Sarfraz Ali, Qamar ud Din, Bilal Naseem, Ammar Asghar & Ali Haider

  2. University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore Pakistan, 54890, Pakistan

    Zafar Abbas, A. N. Shah & M. Sarfraz Ali

  3. UCE&T, Bahauddin Zakarya University, Multan, 60000, Pakistan

    M. Tahir Hassan

Authors
  1. Zafar Abbas
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  2. A. N. Shah
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  3. M. Tahir Hassan
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  4. M. Sarfraz Ali
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  5. Qamar ud Din
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  6. Bilal Naseem
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zafar Abbas.

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Conflict of interest

It is hereby declared that none of the authors has received any kind of funding from any company or organization and none of them has a conflict of interest regarding the funding of this study.

Asad Naeem Shah earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with honors from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore in 2000. He joined the same university as a lecturer in 2001. In 2004, he did his M.Sc. in Mech. Engineering from UET Lahore in Thermal Power Engineering. He completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (power machinery) from Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), P. R. China in 2010. His area of research includes regulated & unregulated emissions, fuel injection & Combustion, engine after-treatment technology, and alternative fuels. He is an author of a number of research papers in international and national journals of repute. He has supervised a number of undergraduate and postgraduate theses including a Ph.D. thesis. Currently, he is working as a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, UET Lahore, Pakistan.

Muhammad Tahir Hassan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with honors from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET). He joined the Baha Ud Din Zakarya University as a lecturer in 2001. In 2004, he did his M.Sc. in Mech. Engineering from UET Lahore in Thermal Power Engineering. He completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Oxford University, United Kingdom in 2017. Currently, he is working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, BZU Multan, Pakistan.

Zafar Abbas earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Baha Ud Din Zakarya University (BZU), Multan in 2010. He did his M.Sc. in Mech. Design Engineering from UET Lahore in 2017. He is doing his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UET Lahore. His area of research includes regulated & unregulated emissions, Renewable Energy Research and Environmental Protection by abating vehicular emissions. He is an author of four research papers in international and national journals of repute. He has supervised a number of undergraduate thesis. Currently, he is working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan, Pakistan.

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Abbas, Z., Shah, A.N., Hassan, M.T. et al. Performance evaluation of novel solar-powered domestic air cooler with Peltier modules. J Mech Sci Technol 34, 4797–4807 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-020-1036-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-020-1036-0

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