Battery and solar powered refrigerating system

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to overcome the above problems of the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a high efficiency refrigeration system capable of operating for long periods of time solely from electrical power supplied from solar cells and/or batteries.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerating system which incorporates a control which automatically minimizes electrical power consumption.
In accordance with the present invention, efficient storage batteries, low cost photovoltaic cells, and high efficiency refrigeration construction techniques are utilized to produce a self-contained battery/solar powered freezing and refrigerating unit suitable for use in connection with recreation vehicles and suitable for use in remote areas of underdeveloped countries.
In one embodiment the system includes a container including spaced apart inner and outer plastic shells defining an upwardly opening compartment.
Polyurethane foam insulation is sealed between the shells.
The compartment can be opened and closed with a similarly constructed door.
The exterior surfaces of the container and door are covered with an infrared radiation barrier.
A magnetically sealing gasket provides an airtight seal between the door and the container.
A holding plate subdivides the compartment into a freezer portion and a cooler portion.
It is filled with a eutectic solution which is repeatedly frozen by a refrigerant evaporator coil which traverses the interior of the holding plate tank in serpentine fashion.
An insulating panel covers the side of the tank facing the cooler portion of the compartment so that less heat is extracted from that side.
The evaporator coil is connected with a refrigerant condenser coil and refrigerant compressor mounted in a housing beneath the container.
Four DC batteries, a condenser fan, and a control are also mounted in the housing.
An array of solar cells are mounted on a nearby roof