ABSTRACT
The experimental observation and analysis of the performance of a photovoltaic (pv) refrigeration system are classified into two sets of performance variables such as irradiance which is a function of space and time; ambient temperature which is also a function of space and time and pattern or profile of system utilization. The pv array supplies 'photopower' to the refrigerator with monitoring instrumentation attached to record temperatures, currents and voltages at different points of the system automatically. Basic programs were developed to retrieve, process and plot these data to visualize the behaviour of the experimental system. Computer simulation of the refrigeration system will provide the user with valuable performance characteristics which are not available in short-term field tests. The determination of the thermal heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerator enclosure is required for system simulation.
