The sun as cooling agent: Solar refrigerator for medicine to manage without socket

Osnabrück 24.02.2004 (PROTEXT/ots) - Cooler for medicine andvaccines to meet WHO standards - health and environmentalprotection - DBU promotes with approximately 50.000 EUR Medicine is a "sensitive plant": it dislikes high temperatures.Vaccines are similarly sensitive. Both is difficult on longertransports in developing countries where electricity is notconstantly available. Now the company va-Q-tec from Würzburgtakes a first step towards solving the problem: developing avacuum-insulated refrigerator for medicine using solar energy ascooling agent -supported by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung UmweltDBU and in co-operation with the Baden-Württemberg companyPhocos. Objective: A solar cooler that meets the demands of theWorld Health Organisation (WHO). "The safe transport of medicineis vital. This project goes a step further and combines health-and environmental protection", says DBU Secretary General Dr.Fritz Brickwedde. The DBU promotes the project with 50.000 Euro. Basis of the new refrigerator is a very efficient insulationdeveloped by va-Q-tec and working by means of a vacuum. "We usefine-porous quartz powder which is pressed to plates and thenwrapped with an aluminium foil," says the physicist Dr. JoachimKuhn from va-Q-tec. "Finally all air is sucked out." The result:an ideal insulation. Now, the fiddlers from va-O-tec and Phocoswant to construct a cooler using that excellent insulation whichcan be supplied by solar energy. For full text and pictures, please see www.dbu.de. ots Original Text: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt Internet:http://www.presseportal.de Contact: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt Franz-Georg Elpers(Pressesprecher) An der Bornau 2 49090 Osnabrück Telefon: 0541/9633-521 Fax: 0541/9633-198 E-Mail: presse@dbu.de Internet: www.dbu.de

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