Abstract:
This project designed a portable vaccine cooler for the distribution of vaccines in developing countries. It is designed as an insulated box that limits heat transfer from the containment unit to the outside ambient conditions. The vaccine cooler is comprised of a peltier device, heat sinks, fan, phase change material (PCM), and foam board insulation. Finite element analysis (FEA) is used to assist the design of the thermal insulation and PCM layers. The simulation results show that the designed foam insulation board can effectively reduce heat transfer from outside air to the vaccine chamber and the PCM materials can help maintain the chamber in the desired temperature range for at least 5 days.