Optimization of a High-Performance Solar-Powered Thermoelectric Refrigeration System Using MPPT-Based Power Conditioning and CFD-Enhanced Heat Rejection

This study presents the design, modeling, and performance evaluation of an enhanced Solar-Powered Thermoelectric Refrigeration (SPTR) system developed through a fully integrated electro-thermal simulation framework. The system incorporates a one-diode photovoltaic (PV) model, Perturb-and-Observe maximum power point tracking (MPPT), DC–DC power conditioning, multi-stage thermoelectric module (TEM) configurations, hybrid energy buffering, and CFD-optimized heat-sink structures to address the instability and efficiency limitations of conventional SPTR architectures. A multi-platform co-simulation environment was implemented using MATLAB/Simulink, COMSOL Multiphysics, ANSYS Fluent, and Python (PVLib and SALib) to capture real-time coupling between electrical dynamics, thermal behavior, control strategies, and environmental variations under realistic operating conditions. Results demonstrate that the proposed SPTR system achieves a 25.8% increase in PV power generation, maintains a stable daily coefficient of performance (COP) ranging from 0.4 to 0.8, and delivers an average cooling power of 15–18 W, significantly outperforming conventional Water Storage Tank (WST) and Solar Thermal Storage (STS) systems. The optimized thermal management strategy supports a stable temperature differential of 35.5°C between the hot and cold sides of the TEM, enabling effective refrigeration over a 10-hour solar operating window. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses further reveal that solar irradiance, heat-sink thermal resistance, and Seebeck coefficient variability are the dominant parameters influencing system performance and robustness. Overall, the enhanced SPTR design demonstrates substantial improvements in cooling stability, electrical efficiency, system integration, and operational reliability, confirming its suitability as a scalable and energy-efficient solution for off-grid refrigeration applications such as vaccine preservation, perishable food storage, and rural cold-chain systems in energy-constrained environments.

Photovoltaic (PV), Solar-Powered Thermoelectric Refrigeration (SPTR), Thermoelectric module (TEM), Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), Hybrid Energy Management System, CFD-Based Heat Sink Design, Solar Tracking Systems (STS)

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