Design Area 4: Energy

| Low Cost, Low Energy Refrigeration |

Background
- The Pu-Ngaol village is experiencing a lack of affordable and
accessible electricity

- Despite the grid's capacity to power the whole village only 50

percent is connected due to high cost

- Consequently, practises such as tapping on to power lines illegally,

and use of lead acid car batteries are common and pose major Figure 1. Distribution of solar potential, IRENA statistics,
safety concerns. https://www.irena.org/-
/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Statistics/Statistical_Profiles/Asia/Cambo
dia_Asia_RE_SP.pdf ,08/08/2023

- The Cambodian government has expressed its support for more

renewable sources of energy
Insight
Fossil fuels in Cambodia
- Cambodia's use of fossil fuels is almost entirely
dependant on imports from other countries

- Cambodia has no commercial mining operations,

refineries, and very little oil exploration drillings.

- The total primary energy supply in Cambodia was about Figure 2. Total energy supply in 2020. RENA statistics, https://www.irena.org/-
/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Statistics/Statistical_Profiles/Asia/Cambodia_Asia_RE_SP.pdf ,08/08/2023
4.8 million tons of oil in 2015, while fuel wood and other
biomass accounted for 44.4% of the total

- Renewable energy is a more suitable option for this

project
Insight
Renewable energy in Cambodia
- Cambodia has one the highest potential solar resources in the Greater Mekong
Subregion, with the sun producing an average of 1,400–1,800 kWh per square meter.

- Large amounts of biomass energy are available in Cambodia, from a number of

sources including rubber plantation forests and quickly expanding tropical trees like
Acacia which can be processed through mills to generate electricity

Figure 3. Mekong river dams, Nikkei Asia,

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/The-Big-Story/Mekong-
River-nations-face-the-hidden-costs-of-China-s-dams
- Technical hydropower potential of Cambodia is estimated at 10000 MW. ,09/04/2018

- The Mekong river accounts for about 50% of hydroelectric resources, its smaller rivers
for 40%,
- China's 5 megadams will restrict water flow into the Mekong river which will affect the
hydroelectric power created for Cambodia.
The Opportunity
- Pu-Ngaol Village is one of many off-grid settlements without access to refrigeration.

- Food, medications, and other goods cannot be safely accessed without refrigeration. Leading to waste and
sickness

- Off grid use, Sustainable energy such as solar power can be used
- Only 50 percent of the village is connected to the main grid
- It is expensive to utilize the electricity from the grid

Figure 4. Pu-Ngaol village, engineers without borders,

https://ewb.org.au/blog/2022/10/18/announcing-our-2023-ewb-challenge-community-partner/,
18/10/2022
Design Problem Statement

How might the Pu-Ngaol Village be supplied with refrigeration to store food,
medicine and other necessities. In order to prevent major problems such as waste
and sickness among the villagers?
Design Objectives

1. The design should store food, medication and other goods that need refrigeration.
2. The design should be able to function with low power
3. Should be accessible and easy to use for all individuals
4. Easy to maintain
5. Low cost to operate
Design Constraints

1. The design must withstand external conditions (weather)

2. The size of design must not exceed maximum energy usage capabilities
3. The design must have a constant supply of sun - With a constantly functioning refrigerator, storing
energy whilst a constant supply of sun is not available at all times, there should be capacity for
sundown storage of energy.
4. The design must have cooling abilities
5. The design must be suitable for off grid use
Idea Generation MORPHOLOGICAL
CHART
Idea 1 Idea 2 Idea 3

Brainstorming Table
Energy Source Solar power Hydro power Wind power
Big Fridge Individual ice Solar Multiple
the whole packet powered medium
village could dispensary fridges sized fridges Cooling Vapour Evaporative Ice packet
use for personal around the Mechanism compression cooling dispenser
use village

Mobility/Portability Fixed installation Mobile Community cooling

refrigeration (eg, centre
Personal Wind Hydro Wind
refrigerated trucks)
Eskys (paired powered powered powered ice
with ice fridge fridge packet
packet dispensary
dispensary) Storage Capacity Retail sized fridge Portable cooling Community sized
containers cooling place

Hydro Mobile Evaporative Durability Insulation against Corrosive resistant UV resistant

powered ice cooling unit cooling hut temperature materials coatings
packet (eg truck) fluctuations
dispensary
1. Preliminary Ideas
Community Sized Cooling Fridge

The idea is to create a centralised hub within the village ideally in a place where all villagers can access it easily,
providing a place to store food, medicine, and other necessities for all villagers.

Components:

Refrigeration units: The centre would house multiple fridge units or cooling rooms which could vary in size to store
different things that the villagers need such as food and medicine.

Solar Powered: To ensure sustainability and to function without the need for electricity from the grid the cooling
centre will be powered by solar panels installed on the roof to maximise the amount of sunlight they get.

Monitoring and control system: Sensors placed throughout to ensure that the desired temperature is achieved to
keep the goods inside safe. Also, the energy usage will be monitored, and alerts will be sent out if anything
deviates from the expected conditions.

Weatherproof enclosure: All components of the cooling system will be housed within a weatherproof enclosure to
ensure no damage can occur from the weather conditions and that the cooling system can be insulated properly
Preliminary Ideas
2. Mobile refrigeration
The idea involves a transport system of refrigerators carried by an organised unit of trucks throughout the village. This eliminates the
need for all the villagers to individually reach the site of refrigeration, saving time and energy from unnecessary travel between
refrigeration sites.
Components:
Refrigeration system: The cooling system is integrated to the truck which can maintain and adjust to the external conditions. Options
consist of vapour compression, evaporative cooling, ice pack dispensers, compressors, or condensers.
Temperature monitoring and control: The refrigerators in each truck will have installed sensors that can detect potential changes in
temperature and regulate the refrigeration to maintain the desired range of temperature
Power source: To power the refrigerators, the trucks will be equipped with solar panels mounted onto the roof of each truck, creating
a consistent production of power to the refrigerators even while the trucks are not operating as they are parked.
Preliminary Ideas
3. Ice Packet dispenser with portable container.
This idea supplies villagers with their own personal cooling unit to store their own goods rather than sharing a cooling space.

Components:

Ice packet dispenser: The dispenser is a small unit that can be installed within the village, ideally in a central location that can be
accessed by mostly all villagers. It produces ice and dispenses it.

Portable cooling container: A portable container that can store the ice and other goods such as food and medicine is provided. The
container is insulated to ensure that the right temperature can be maintained to keep the goods inside safe. The container will have
ergonomic handles and straps to make carrying easier.

Power supply: the ice dispenser will be powered through solar panels to ensure that sustainable methods of producing power are
used. A battery storage system is used to store any excess electricity that can be used during times of low sunlight
Preliminary Ideas
4.. Evaporative cooling hut
The hut is designed to utilise natural processes to lower temperatures and preserve goods such as food and medicine.

Components

Structure: The hut is to use local sourced materials such as bamboo and different types of wood or bricks. It is designed to have
good airflow while minimising the amount of direct sunlight it is exposed to.

Evaporative cooling system: By using evaporative cooling techniques, which take use of the natural process of water evaporation to
lower temperatures, a cooling effect is achieved. To promote evaporation and chill the air, water-soaked objects like wet cloth, porous
clay pots, and ceramic tiles are arranged in multiple locations throughout the hut. The temperature within the hut drops as the water
evaporates off the surfaces and absorbs heat from the surrounding air.

Weather resistant structure: The hut will be situated outside and therefore will need to be weatherproof to certain conditions such as
rain and intense sunlight. The hut will have a waterproof roof.
 Screening: Weighted sum model
Design Objective Adrian Brittany Arpita Dylan Luca John Quy Trung Sum of weighting Weighting Final weighting
calculation

The design should store 35 20 20 40 30 35 21 201 201/201 1

food, medications and
items that require
refrigeration.

The design should be 10 20 15 10 20 15 17 107 92/201 0.46

able to function with low
power

Should be accessible 5 25 20 5 15 15 20 105 105/201 0.52

and easy to use for all
individuals.

Easy to maintain 25 15 20 15 15 20 27 137 120/201 0.59

Low cost to operate 25 20 25 30 20 15 15 150 150/201 0.74

Total Check 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Screening: Scoring Chart Initial scores Weighted scores

Design objectives metric Design option 1 Design option 2 Design option 3 Design option 4 weight Design option 1 Design option 2 Design option 3 Design option 4

The design should The storage of the 10 10 10 10 1 10 10 10 10

store food, refrigerator has
medication and
enough capacity
other items that
without disrupting
require
the ability to
refrigeration.
replenish the
energy source given
the size.

The design should Work out the 7 8 7 5 0.46 3.22 3.68 3.22 2.3
be able to function minimum power
with low power.
required to function
and see if that
amount can be
achieved

Should be The capacity is a 8 3 6 4 0.52 4.16 1.56 3.12 2.08

accessible and large enough
easy to use for all
resource for those
individuals.
utilising it.

Easy to maintain. How often the 5 6 8 3 0.59 2.95 3.54 4.72 1.77
machine requires
service over the
first 10 years.

Low cost to The total 9 5 7 6 0.74 6.66 3.7 5.18 4.44

operate operational cost
could be
compared with the
investment cost to
see if it is less than
the investment
cost

sum 26.99 22.48 26.24 20.59

Preferred Design Option

Community Sized Cooling fridge

Next Steps
Preliminary Design

Approximate size: 500L

Material: Aluminum and plastic
Production: Made externally and imported into the village

Interface Components:
- Refrigeration units: The centre would house multiple fridge units or cooling rooms which could vary in size to store different things that the villagers need
such as food and medicine.

- Solar Powered: To ensure sustainability and to function without the need for electricity from the grid the cooling centre will be powered by solar panels
installed on the roof to maximise the amount of sunlight they get.

- Monitoring and control system: Sensors placed throughout to ensure that the desired temperature is achieved to keep the goods inside safe. Also, the energy
usage will be monitored, and alerts will be sent out if anything deviates from the expected conditions.

- Weatherproof enclosure: All components of the cooling system will be housed within a weatherproof enclosure to ensure no damage can occur from the
weather conditions and that the cooling system can be insulated properly