Journal of Engineering Research
Innovation and Scientific Development

Design and Fabrication of a Dual-Phase Cascade Refrigeration System for Efficient Cold Storage and Healthcare Services

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1Olarewaju Thomas Oginni, 
  1. 1  Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering Technology, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti (BOUESTI), Nigeria.
Abstract

Human blood plasma storage faces challenges like cold conditions, quality surveillance, stable freezing, and reliable facilities, while clinics lack transit chilling for quick processing at collection centres. A portable vapour compression chiller (PVCC) offers a secure solution for handling heat-susceptible items, addressing international health security risks, and delivering safe medical care in underdeveloped nations. Employing a copper tube evaporator (CTE) in contrast to a blast evaporator (BE), the research examines an improved dualstage vapour compression cascade technique (DSVCCT) that incorporates a storage compartment. A 12 kg storage capacity, 5 kVA generator provides a rapid, ultra-low temperature time-freezing temperature evaporator tested with cow blood plasma and monitored for freezer temperature decline and distribution. The system measurements are conducted to analyze the pull-down time (PDT), defrosting time (DT), power consumption (PC), coefficient of performance (COP), and overall efficiency (OE) at the different intermediate cascade temperatures. The system achieved -20°C with a pull-down time of 420 minutes, demonstrating 89.6% efficiency and 415.8 MJ and 105.6 MJ energy usage for copper tubes and blast evaporators, respectively. The refrigerating effect was recorded at 140.9 kJ/kg and 3.18 COP. The refrigerating effect was 140.9 kJ/kg and 3.18 COP. The modified refrigeration technique has been found to extend plasma refrigeration systems' shelf life by four days off-cycle, saving 4.62 MJ of energy at zero emissions and cost-effectively. The design is energyefficient, suitable for energy-deficient economies due to its longer shelf life and portability, making it ideal for transporting and managing heat-sensitive drugs in healthcare areas with limited resources.

Graphic Abstract
JERISD PUBLICATION LOGO
Vol 3, Number 1
February 2025
Pages 1-13
Files
Download: PDF
History
  • Received: 09/01/2025

  • Revised: 14/02/2025

  • Accepted: 19/02/2025

  • Published: 27/02/2025
Statistics