Special Projects
• Summary of IIT-Associated Solar & Cooling Projects
Kanyakumari Solar Desalination Project (IED Project)
Key components:
Solar thermal system
Solar photovoltaic (PV) system (15–25 kW)
Solar multi-effect desalination system (flash chamber, evaporator, condenser)
A solar multi-application desalination system installed at Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari.
Funded by the Ministry of Health Sciences.
Designed to treat seawater and produce high-purity distilled water.
System capacity: ~10,000 m³/day (average production ~1.13 m³/hour).
Water quality: Less than 5 ppm (high-purity distilled water).
Water is mixed with remineralized water before use for drinking and domestic purposes.
Brine disposal is environmentally safe, returned to the sea via a diffuser system to avoid ecological impact.
Research outcomes were published in journals such as Solar Energy and Solar Compass.
4 MW – Germany
75 KW – Kayathar
RO Power Plant – Thoothukudi
Cooling Tower - Neyveli
Solar Cold Storage – Neyveli
Solar Cold Storage – Kanyakumari
• Smart Monitoring
Neyveli Solar Cold Storage Project
A 1 TR solar-powered cold storage system designed for R&D and chemical storage.
Operates at around 10°C room temperature.
Based on Vapor Absorption Refrigeration System (VARS).
Refrigerants used: R-134a and Dimethylformylamine (DMF).
Energy sources:
Solar thermal collectors (~20 kW) for heat input
Solar PV plant (~15 kW) for pumps and motors
Primarily used by Neyveli for chemical storage and research applications.
Rooftop Solar VARS R&D System
Similar to the Neyveli system but installed on the 7th floor of a building.
Requires higher pumping power due to height.
Designed as an R&D and optimization platform.
Uses a cold water bath simulator instead of a physical cold room.
Purpose: to study system behaviour, heat exchanger modifications, and performance optimization.
Focused on developing a compact, efficient, and optimized absorption cooling system.