Solar Powered Cold Storage
Vir Mankani, Daniel Pahutan, Alexis Otlica, Long Yin Su
School of Engineering
Faculty Supervisor: Hamid Mahmoodi
Development of a self-contained cooler lid refrigeration system with solar power and battery storage to provide cheaper and more reliable refrigeration to developing countries. The proposed system can convert common single-use styrofoam coolers into re-usable long-term cold storage that will continue to be operational during power-outages. Our design integrates the entire refrigeration system and lithium-ion battery into a single cooler lid, delivering efficient top-down cooling. Solar energy powers the unit by default; when sunlight is limited, it seamlessly transitions to wall power. During transport or outages, the onboard battery provides uninterrupted operation, recharging from either solar or the grid whenever available. By repurposing styrofoam and other disposable cooler boxes as the chassis, the solution reduces cost for low-income users, minimizes waste, and extends the useful life of single-use products.