Can a solar refrigerator be made based on the same principle used for gas refrigerators?

Answer 1

I am a Ph. D. physicist and have thought for years about this. I have never done anything about it. I see "solar refrigerators" on the internet which use solar photovoltaic cells to generate electrical power to power a compressor, but this is not what I would call a true solar refrigerator. It seems to me that one could simply take a gas refrigerator and use a solar collector to generate enough heat to power the thermal cycle. In times of clouds or night, the system could operate from a gas backup system. By using an adequately sized solar panel, the system could be run during the daytime, where the need is greatest, using only solar power. This has got to be more efficient than generating electricity and then "generating cooling" (i.e. maintaining the cooling refrigeration cycle). Solar airconditioners based on the same principle would be optimum. One needs air conditioning most when the sun is shining. This is a natural since the need is greatest when the sun is shining. To keep the system simple, gas back-up would be required. There may be a more efficient liquid that could be used at a lower temperature than is used in the gas refrigerator, but this is a refinement that could be instituted later. It seems like a home hobbyist or an engineering student could kludge together a commercial gas refrigerator with a solar focussing array and have a good demonstration system. Has anyone out there done this? John Yoder