EVALUATION OF THE THERMAL PROFILE OF A SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC COLD ROOM LOADED WITH MANGOES

In this work we present the results of the study conducted on the characterization of a cold storage room containing mangoes. The study was carried out at the Energy Department of IRSAT/CNRST of Burkina Faso. The device used is a cold storage room powered by solar photovoltaic energy for the conservation of agricultural food products (mangoes, onions or potatoes). Cold being expensive to produce, it is imperative to insulate the walls of the storage room properly. This is why, after the design and construction of the cold storage room, it was necessary for us to characterize it during the phase of mango conservation. Temperatures of the internal and external walls of the warehouse were measured and simulated to establish their profiles. Due to the insulation, the internal temperature of the cold room is reduced comparatively to the external temperature. Indeed, the difference between the maximum external and internal temperature can reach 20°C. The northern and eastern walls are the hotter wall due to their exposure to solar radiation respectively in the morning and in the afternoon. The time phase shift of the southern wall is 3 to 4 hours. It appears that the cold storage room studied has good thermal profiles for the conservation of agricultural products