Inorder to deliver life-saving vaccines to remote areas of developing countries could soon be possible with new solar-powered fridges. Engineers at University of Edinburgh's School of Engineering have developed a prototype system that could keep vaccines cool until treatment.

Thousands of children in third world countries die every day from diseases that are preventable by vaccination. Increasing levels of immunisation is vital for economic development and poverty reduction, but vaccines often deteriorate before they are delivered.

Researchers believe the technology could have a huge impact in countries where delivering humanitarian aid is compromised by fuel shortages and high temperatures.

Dr Giulio Santori of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering, who is leading the project, said: “We are very pleased by the encouraging results obtained so far on the proof-of-concept prototype. We are now seeking to develop a first generation commercial version which combines the solar thermal and adsorption based technologies.”

Tests show that the proposed system, designed at the University of Edinburgh and tested in collaboration the Italian National Research Council’s ITAE research institute, can produce up to 5 kg of ice each day. It can store vaccines at between 2 and 8 Celsius for as long as three days, the target set by World Health Organization.

Under normal operation ice is stored for the following day, when a new cycle starts.  Scientists believe this shows that the technology could be employed in remote areas.

Solar refrigeration could benefit the majority of third world countries, owing to high levels of sunlight available. The technology is also compliant with the requirements of the main humanitarian organisations in supporting aid operations in areas affected by catastrophic events.

The team at Edinburgh hope a new, more compact and market-attractive prototype can be developed as a result of their research.