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IIT Madras develops portable solar-powered cold storage device
IIT Madras develops portable solar-powered cold storage device: Details, Features, Significance, Highlights
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has developed a portable solar-powered cold storage device with a 500 kg capacity for storing vegetables and fruits, among other items.
The portable solar-powered cold storage device will help farmers store their produce for sufficient time so that it does not get spoilt before it is sold, thereby preventing wastage of agricultural produce.
The first unit of the device was deployed at a farm in Madurantakam in Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu.
About Solar-Powered Cold Storage Device
It has been developed under the project funded by the Department of Science and Technology (Ministry of Science and Technology) and IIT-M.
It provides a storage facility with temperature ranging between four and 10 degree Celsius. Using it, vegetables, leaves, flowers, and fruits can be stored for 24 hours in the device.
Each device is enough for 5 or 6 acres of land or for a group of three to four farmers. The unit uses thermal energy storage.
The photovoltaic-powered refrigeration system is used to charge the indoor thermal battery in form of latent heat during daytime and used to maintain temperature (10 C) for 20-24 hours. Each unit costs between Rs 5.5 to Rs 6 lakh and storage capacity could be scaled down based on requirement.
