Performance Evaluation of Cryogenic Cooling effect in a Solar-powered Peltier-type Drug Storage Device for remote application

Abstract

In many parts of developing nations, the preservation of vaccines is a difficult task. Since solar energy is readily available in sub-Saharan Africa, harvesting solar radiation to drive a thermoelectric device to provide the requisite cooling effect can deliver the needed means of preservation. In this report, parametric analysis of selected performance variables was investigated on a fabricated Peltier device using a system identification approach. A preliminary experiment to check the excitation of the system was conducted for 8 hours. The system was then excited to obtain different datasets for model development and validation. Parametric estimates of different linear system identification structures were computed. Measured outputs were compared with simulated outputs, and the equation for the best fit was presented. The observed system dynamics performance was estimated at approximately 76% cooling effect. The model Peltier device presented here could improve the preservation of blood, serum, and vaccine potency in clinics located in remote settlements where access to electricity is limited.