Diseño de un Sistema Solar Térmico para la Producción de Quesos en las Comunidades: Chimborazo, Santa Isabel, San Juan - Chimborazo

Abstract

Study and design of a solar thermal system as an alternative energy for the pasteurization process, in order to achieve significant economic savings and mainly reduce the environmental impact due to the use of fossil fuels in the cheese factories located in the communities of Santa Isabel and Chimborazo in the parish of San Juan, province of Chimborazo. Volumes, raw material temperature, geographic and meteorological conditions of the site, among others, were studied, and an energy balance was carried out quantifying the amount of energy used in the current pasteurization process, proceeding to simulate the solar thermal system for its final design. The average incident solar radiation is 684.5W/m2 obtaining 6 hours of daily work, allowing the adequate use of solar energy in the two sites. In the simulation of the proposed system, the equipment will have 4 solar collectors of 2.51m2 each and an accumulator of 120lts, so that the water inside reaches an average temperature of 75ºC, transferring the heat to 350-450lts of milk and maintaining a constant temperature of 65ºC, fulfilling the pasteurization process. The system is designed with 85% solar energy and 15% traditional auxiliary energy, making it a hybrid system. In terms of costs, the system will require an investment of $7,886.66 per microenterprise, with a payback period of less than four years. The proposed design will reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, giving way to a renewable energy source.