Design of mobile cold storage system using phase change material for vaccines

This study investigates the performance of a mobile cold storage system designed for the transportation of vaccines at a very low temperature, in order to prevent spoilage. The system has a cylindrical storage unit for vaccines surrounded by a layer of phase change material (PCM) and an insulation layer on the outside. Two different designs with the same volume but different in thickness of PCM and insulation have been examined in this work. Suitable insulation and PCM materials are picked for the design of the system and further investigation. Polyurethane and 0100-Q-50–Bio-PCM are taken as the insulation and PCM materials, based on several factors like ease of availability, cost factor and bio compatibility issues. The inner air chamber is to be maintained at a temperature of 213K-230K to prevent spoilage of the vaccines. Model 1 has 2 cm thickness each of PCM and insulation, while model 2 has a thickness of 3 cm PCM and 1 cm insulation. The cooling time for model 2 was more than model 1 by 1.7 hours, and the cooling efficiency was also more than model 1 by 3 %. This preliminary study has helped to provide an insight into the further development of an optimal mobile cold storage system, which can be used efficiently and economically for the transportation of vaccines.