undergraduate project ideas

I am guessing that an ammonia/water absorption cycle would be most promising. There are several manufacturers of such refrigerators for RVs (recreational vehicles), typically using propane as the fuel. Depending on the geometry of the regenerator, it might be possible to focus solar energy on it to get a sufficiently high operating temperature.

With luck, you might be able to obtain such a refrigerator at a reasonable cost. Then, with some flexible reflective sheets (foil/plastic) you could experiment with various reflector configurations.

These are "off-the-shelf" suggestions that could be obtained and experimented on within your time frame. Your idea has lots of potential--best wiches for success!

You could do a tromp powering an airlift pump. This has only been done a few times. Or you could do a windturbine directly powering a fridge. No need for electricity.

There is also 2 whole new hydropower options.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=FD3B655FED590244 If you introduce either one to Africa, I think it would be a great thing. You do not need to generate electricity with either one. If you use it to make the pump go, then you can have your fridge powered without electricity.

Brian

I was thinking about this subject the other day - arising of it being 34 deg C here with the air conditioner running all day at 80c/hr or whatever, and knowing that the solar energy density/m2 on a hot day is not too bad.

It seems that Einstein actually patented an improvement on the original absorbtion process and that work is being done on additional improvements in at least one university. Se the link below.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/sep/21/scienceofclimatechange.climatechange

I have done some work on this subject. At present one of the undergraduate students from Oman is doing this project under my supervision. We are doing design, installation and commissioning of solar refrigerator for remote area application. I can send you the details of the work we have carried out so far to you if you need. Please give me your e mail id if you need the details. Dr. Ram.

Dear Sir,

I am a Commerce graduate but delt in nonconventional energy equipment manufacturing Industry in India for 2 decads( Windmill)

K R Jain

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Don't know if u got my email id,been expecting details of your work. Would appreciate your help.

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hey i am dheeraj from jodhpur. i am final year student. i want this project details and some more new projects details.

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How about a small and efficient unit for medication.

Dear Rams,

I too would enjoy reading this.

Gene

thanks a lot everyone, i'm receiving encouraging responses.i would be more than happy to get more.

Victor Papaneck, California School of Design, wrote a book 'Design for the Real World' You can download the ebook free here: http://www.downarchive.com/dl/Design+For+The+Real+World+Victor+Papanek+Ebook.html Look at various projects (including a bicycle pump operated refrigerator for preserving food). One of them may suit your purpose.

check out this link, and take it from there : http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/lesotho.html

Regards, Hangwaiter

I checked this link and it has been updated. It is all about pumps and shows the internal workings of many different types. It might be helpful. You need flash installed to see the animations.

Brian

http://www.animatedsoftware.com./elearning/All%20About%20Pumps/glossary/aap_glossary.html

The above idea of using a RV refrigerator would be the easiest, and cheapest. Remember that the solar panel is producing a DC current. The RV Refrigerator should already be set up to receive a DC current. If you use a regular refrigerator, you'll need an inverter to change the DC to AC current. This is another step, as well as an addtional cost.

I think the original idea was to use the solar heat directly to power the fridge? No electricity involved.

That would mean higher efficiency than solar panels but you would need backup for cloudy days.

http://www.me.gatech.edu/energy/andy_phd/one.htm has details of Einstein's pump. The thermodynamics, etc (which I do not pretend to understand) but it is probably useful to others.

Brian

At one point in my quick perusal of the linked article, it mentioned a COP of 0.15. Compressor apps in the HVAC range get around 3.0 COP; low-temperature apps around 1.0. In that respect, absorption refrigeration, though versatile, is not very energy efficient.

However, if energy is cheap or free, as in waste heat recovery; or if there is reason to minimize on mechanical equipment; then absorption may be a good candidate. In particular, it ought to marry well with solar energy.

There is (or was) an ammonia absorption freezing plant in Dillingham, AK, designed by one George Henderson. And there is a German concern, I forget the name, that has made some multi-story large-scale systems. Also some lithium bromide-water HVAC chiller systems in which deep-vacuum water is the refrigerant.

One obstacle is that system upsets can be troublesome to correct. (If you overturn an RV refrigerator, I have heard it takes quite a bit of playing around to get it back on track.)

Electrolux and Servel household refrigerators used this principle; Dometic and some other RV refrigerators likewise. Because of this, it may be possible to find some used units for experimentation.

someone help me to

i need a topic in dynamics & robotics

hey all,

im looking for a project topic in the field of mechanical and manufacturing. i know its a bit general but im more looking at more on the manufacturing system that deals with last downtime and increasing efficiency. Plus, have alternative ways of likewise manual system that is decreasing downtime.

jese.

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