Development of a Lab Scale Solar Powered Cogeneration System Generating Electricity and Cooling

Population and industrialisation lead to a high energy demand. A large part of these energy demands are met from fossil fuels which have adverse effects on the environment like global warming, thus causing a shift of focus towards renewable sources. Solar energy is currently highly adaptable for its abundance, sustainability, reliability, and equal distribution in nature. Moreover, global warming has elevated the energy expenditure on refrigeration and air-conditioning. Conventional Vapour Compression Refrigeration (VCR) is a highly reliable method for generating low temperatures, but its contribution to energy consumption (17%), global warming, and ozone depletion potential (CFCs and HFCs) draws attention towards other alternative refrigeration methods. This research aims to develop a lab scale solar powered cogeneration system generating electricity and cooling. The design and development of a concentrated Solar PV with a thermal system will be discussed, along with an analysis and comparison of performance parameters with different experimental results.

Sasmita Patnaik, Doctoral Candidate, School of Engineering and Applied Science