Solar refrigeration

In contexts where people had no access to electric refrigeration to preserve food, thermal solar refrigeration could provide an alternative. With a student, I developed a solar refrigerator using a methanol adsorption cycle.

Today, low-cost photovoltaic panels can often power electric refrigerators more simply, but the project remains a useful example of adapting physics to local constraints.

Hot water production for poultry processing

Some commercial activities need hot water and therefore consume fuel. In poultry processing, feathers are removed by immersing chickens in hot water. To reduce gas consumption, I developed with a local craftsman a set of thermal solar panels feeding a hot water tank.

Impact: a simple solution well adapted to the Northeast Brazilian region.