Technical Editor Margery Conner's PowerSource streams the latest developments in electronic power design and related technologies. Follow Margery on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/margeryc.
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Blog
Friday, June 1, 2007
Camel Fridge: A truly novel, mobile solar-powered refrigerator
Jun 1 2007 11:48AM | Permalink |Comments (8) |
One of the monumental health projects of our time has to be the effort to bring vaccines into remote, rural regions of the world. Vaccines must be kept cool, and in remote rural regions where it’s too darn hot to begin with, a reliable source of electricity is usually not a feature.
A Finnish company, NAPS Systems, addressed this need in the 1980’s with this mobile camel-solar-powered refrigerator. This version evolved into a more boring, but presumably more universal system, today’s CFS49IS.
The CFS49IS comprises a 49 liter refrigerator/Ice pack freezer, 4 50W solar panels, and 2 100 A-hour 12V lead-acid batteries. The whole thing weighs about 300kg. And yes, the CFS stands for Camel Fridge System.
Related entries in: Power Sources/Controllers |
Reader Comments
at 6/5/2007 1:26:14 PM, RTJD said:
I have to wonder what the camel thinks of a 660 pound load on his back?
at 6/5/2007 3:28:47 PM, foxtail said:
I am currently designing a 50L fridge that consumes ~40W. That will surely save a significant amount of weight!
at 6/6/2007 6:30:45 PM, Gallico DiBello said:
Presumably a lot of the weight is for the batteries, to keep it cold when the sun isn't shining. But why not lithium instead of lead?
at 6/6/2007 11:18:47 PM, rootboy said:
"Presumably a lot of the weight is for the batteries, to keep it cold when the sun isn''t shining. But why not lithium instead of lead?"
Probably because:
Of the limited number of recharge cycles with Li-Ion.
You can get a lead battery anywhere in the world.
And a charger for lead batteries is dead simple, meaning that you can cobble up a replacement charger anywhere.
"Thin film" lithium batteries show promise though.
And the Finnish marketing guys missed their chance, "Kamel Kooler" would have been a much better name for it. :)
at 6/8/2007 6:55:27 AM, baba alkali said:
Though the weight is heavy, i think it serves the purpose.
at 6/17/2007 5:14:57 AM, johnstonekilonzo@yahoo.com said:
this is a perfect idea/project for much of our countryside - kenya
at 7/13/2007 5:54:39 PM, NJOD said:
marvelous! Great step forward in getting medicines to hot rural areas.
at 7/25/2008 2:06:17 PM, steve said:
He aint heavy,
he''s my freezer!
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