Performance assessment of a solar-powered evaporative cooling device for small-scale growers

Storage is a critical component in extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables and reducing losses after they are harvested. In rural areas without access to electricity, An evaporative cooling system driven by solar electricity was developed and tested to determine its effectiveness in extending the shelf life of produce. The device was tested for 7 days, using tomatoes as the test subject under both ambient and lower temperature conditions. A wet bulb thermometer, a dry bulb thermometer, and a digital humidity-temperature meter were used every day to monitor temperature, weight loss, and relative humidity for both the ambient and cooling equipment. An electronic weighing scale was used to monitor weight reduction. During the no-load test, the cooler achieved an average temperature reduction and a saturation efficiency of 41%. Under ambient circumstances, tomatoes experienced a weight loss of 45.56%, compared to only 19.98% when stored in the cooling device. The cooler had an ambient temperature between 23.03 and 26.08°C and a relative humidity between 71.86 and 94.65%. This device, although simple in design, has the potential to significantly increase the income of small-holder farmers by improving the profitability of their farming operations.