Solus 8 cuft chest type freezer (12volt) [RE-wrenches]

[Mark Downing]

Extremely useful, thank you very much!

--- "Foster, Robert" <rfoster at nmsu.edu> wrote:
> 
> Mark,
> 
> We have been testing the SOLUS refrigerator (now renamed SunDanzer) 
> for the past year and half in NM for NASA and also more recently in 
> Mexico and Guatemala (NASA holds patent rights).  The refrigerator 
> has worked well and is a dc drive unit which uses a variable speed dc
> 
> compressor that is direct coupled to the module using peak power 
> point tracking.  Units are either 12 or 24 V nominal dc.  They have a
> 
> battery free unit with ice storage (which uses a phase change 
> water-glycol ice storage at about 30F).  This is good for about 5-6 
> days of cold storage if cloudy (depends on your ambient temp).  We 
> would switch out 7 gallons of water every day to exercise the unit 
> and it had no problem keeping up during a hot NM summer (exposed to 
> ambient conditions).  If you do not use the refrigerator on a regular
> 
> basis and it is always sunny, it could eventually act as a freezer 
> (with cooler ambient temperatures, so don't use as a vaccine 
> refrigerator).  The refrigerator draws about 50-55 Watts, although 
> you need a module larger than that to run it (for compressor 
> start-up).  The manufacturer recommends 90 - 150 Watts (depending on 
> your solar resource).  We actually successfully ran a unit here in 
> sunny New Mexico on 80 Watts, but that did cause increased start-up 
> attempts in the morning (more cycling), so best to stick to the 90 W 
> minimum.  Since you can eliminate batteries and an inverter - and 
> thus less modules, capital cost savings for the direct drive ice 
> storage refrigerator is pretty good as compared to more conventional 
> PV refrigeration approaches.
> 
> SunDanzer also has a battery powered refrigerator unit (dc) which 
> draws about 2.2 A at 24 V and does have thermostat control.  Of 
> course, why use batteries if you don't have to, so the battery driven
> 
> unit is only for when you need fine temperature control or for less 
> sunny climes.
> 
> You can download a short report presented on preliminary SOLUS 
> testing at the past ISES conference from our website under 
> publications (US) at
> 
> http://solar.nmsu.edu
> 
> There will also be a presentation by NASA on the technology at the 
> upcoming ASES conference in Reno this summer (also where SunDanzer is
> based).
> 
> See the SunDanzer website for specs at
> 
> www.sundanzer.com
> 
> SunWize is the distributor for the U.S.
> 
> Hope this is helpful.
> 
> 
> Robert Foster
> SW Region Solar Experiment Station - NMSU


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