A Solution
The functional Solarbear system uses the adsorption refrigeration cycle; It absorbs solarheat as energy input, creating ice as a consequence. Adsorption refrigeration is a two phased thermodynamical cycle, storing energy during a sunny day, and releasing this energy during the night. An endothermic reaction of the refrigerant fluid during evaporation takes up heat from surrounding water, and causes it to turn into ice.
Three basic components and some valves drive the cycle, transferring heat in or out of the system. These three components are the collector, the condensor and the evaporator, seperated by valves.
During the day, the collector generates heat by absorbing solar heat on a large surface, which is consequently transferred into the system. The refrigerant gasses trapped within a solid material inside the collector are then forced out into one direction: the condensor. Within the condensor, the gass releases its energy to the environment, forcing a phase change into its liquid state. At the end of the day, Phase 1, all the refrigerant fluid is contained and stored.
Phase 2. At sundown, the stored refrigerant fluid wants to evaporate due to a pressure drop within the closed system, this controlled evaporation process at the evaporator takes up heat from the surrounding water, turning it into ice. The, now gasseous, refrigerant travels back into the collector where it again bonds with the solid material kept inside the collector.
Hereafter, the process repeats itself. While the generated ice serves as a buffer for the following day; keeping the coolbox cool.
Our first pieces of ice!
The schematic adsorption cycle.
Scalability
The proposed system is adaptable in size and shape, in order to meet the many specific demands from the SME market in Developing Countries. Furthermore, customizability strongly suggests local handycrafts to be incorporated during the production process. Increasing size increases total system costs and efficiency, but the price per generated Kg of ice drops dramatically.
