Solar icemakers for rural development : technical prospects

If solar radiation is harnessed for cooling purposes, the peak supply of useful energy will generally coincide with peak demand for refrigeration, while the use of the solar cooling effect to produce ice will provide energy storage during low radiation periods. This report provides a brief history of refrigeration and an explanation of refrigeration principles (mechanical compression and intermittent vapor absorption cycles). Refrigerant/absorbent combinations are described, as are the basic designs and operation of solar refrigerators (Trombe-Foex, Chinnappa, Exell). Performance of selected icemakers is assessed and compared, and economic considerations in solar refrigeration are reviewed. Further research is recommended on unusual refrigerant/absorbent combinations, on operation of ice makers in various climates, on new materials and the capital-intensiveness of present designs, and on the social and economic aspects of local ice manufacture. A 42-item bibliography (1930-1980) is appended.