Performance Evaluation of Mobile Liquid Cooled Thermoelectric Refrigeration System for Storage-Cum-Transportation of Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

The performance of a liquid-cooled thermoelectric refrigeration (LCTR) system for the storage of summer fruits and vegetables, viz., bitter gourd, okra, mango, and papaya, indicated notable results for physiological loss in weight, firmness, and colour values and overall acceptability of the crop. The LCTR system significantly reduced (p < 0.0001) the physiological loss in weight (PLW) of bitter gourd, okra, mango, and papaya to 11.51%, 10.99%, 12.29%, and 19.17%, respectively, compared to conventional ambient storage of the crop. A lesser change in colour was observed for the crop subjected to LCTR, recording 14.04, 11.46, 16.41, and 23.68 for bitter gourd, okra, mango, and papaya, respectively. All the crops witnessed no significant effect (p < 0.0001) on the quality attributes of the crop stored in LCTR and a vapour compression refrigeration system. LCTR enabled a pronounced increment in the shelf life of bitter gourd, okra, mango, and papaya by 7, 8, 10, and 13 days, respectively, compared to storage at ambient conditions. The invention provides a mobile thermoelectric refrigeration system useful for marketing fruits and vegetables efficiently. The system is economical, has a higher coefficient of performance (0.85) compared to the coefficient of performance (COP) of the existing thermoelectric refrigeration system, and maintains the freshness and quality of perishable agricultural produce during marketing and transportation.