Publication Type

Journal Article

Publication Date (Issue Year)

2024

Journal Name

Energy Science & Engineering

Abstract

The efficacy of vaccine storage is significantly impacted by temperature fluc-tuations within the cooler, often exacerbated by using phase change materialsin existing cooler designs for remote areas. These materials can undergouneven melting and phase separation, leading to temperature instability andvaccine potency loss. In response to this challenge, the present study intro-duces a novel design of a portable, locally‐made solar‐powered cooler opti-mized for longer storage periods. The cooler's performance in terms of tem-perature distribution, airflow dynamics, and the coefficient of performance(COP) is meticulously examined through computational fluid dynamics (CFD)simulations. The simulated results were validated using experimental datafrom the open literature, ensuring accuracy and reliability. The findingsindicate that the developed cooler achieves significant improvements overtraditional models. For instance, the current model reaches a temperature of+12°C in just 84 min, compared to 208 min, as reported in the literatureresults. Moreover, the current model reaches a temperature of −12°C in195 min and it has energy efficient with a COP of 4.5. Statistical analysisfurther confirms the reliability of the simulation results, with root meansquare and mean absolute percentage errors of 6.587 and 24.2%, respectively.Additionally, a comparative study of five insulative materials highlightspolyurethane (Po) as the top performer, with a heat transfer performance of14.3%, followed by feather fiber (Fe) (18.7%), fly ash (Fl) (19.8%), fiberglass (Fi)(21.9%), and coconut fiber (Co) (25.9%). Notably, net present value (NPV) of$689.336 and $448.01 was obtained for economic analysis of the current modelover the existing model, showing the feasibility of the study. Hence, thecooler's effectiveness in storing vaccines in isolated regions exceeds that ofconventional models, providing a hopeful solution to tackle vital challenges invaccine distribution and preservation

Keywords

insulative material, simulation, temperature distribution, vaccine storage

Grantee Name(s)

Juma Selemani

Project Title

Exploiting the potential of solar-powered cooler for vaccine and perishable foods storage in remote areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

Type of Grant

Research Award

Thematic Area

Minerals, Mining and Materials Engineering

Funding Statement

The authors would like to thank the SOVAS PROJECT through The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology and the HEET PROJECT through the Mbeya University of Science and Technology for financial support in this work.

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