Fenik Yuma 60 L

Product Description

Fenik’s Yuma 60 L Cooler is a portable system that refrigerates perishable foods such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. The cooler does not require electricity to operate and instead uses patent-pending PhaseTek™ membrane technology to facilitate evaporative cooling. The degree to which the device cools food depends on the ambient air temperature and relative humidity and may cool the internal storage space by 20-30 °F. Fenik, which is based in Somerville, Massachusetts manufactures the Yuma 60 L Cooler. The product was designed by Quang Truong, Jeremy Fryer-Biggs, and Spencer Taylor.

Market Suggested Retail Price

$149.95

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Fenik conducted R&D and field trials in Morocco with help from USAID. The product is currently available to purchase online.

Manufacturing/Building Method

This product is mass produced in China. ^{Interview with representative}

Intellectural Property Type

Trademarked

User Provision Model

The product is available to purchase online.

Distributions to Date Status

As of 2019, 1000 units have been produced, 250 of which were used in Morocco for initial field testing, and 150 of which were donated to low-income families in Morocco.^{Interview with representative}

Design Specifications

Fenik's Yuma 60 L Cooler is a collapsible cooler that uses evaporative cooling. The dimensions when expanded are 57 x 45 x 39.5 cm and when collapsed are 57 x 45 x 11.6 cm. The weight when empty is 2 kg. The cooler can hold 60 L worth of food and 3.8 L of water in the internal reservoir. The cooling capacity depends on ambient air temperature and relative humidity. The cooler is made of food-safe plastic and PhaseTek™ membrane technology. The cooler has an internal chamber to hold food and a water reservoir between the chamber and outside wall. The reservoir is filled with water and as the water evaporates through the external walls, the internal chamber is cooled.

Technical Support

Provided by the manufacturer.

Replacement Components

None

Lifecycle

3 years ^{Interview with representative}

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Designer specified performance targets include lightweight and fully portable. The designer provides a graph that shows the expected internal temperature in degrees Celsius given ambient air temperature and relative humidity.

Vetted Performance Status

Testing performed by Fenik determined to cool the internal storage space by 20-30 °F from ambient conditions. No third-party testing has been completed. ^{Interview with representative}

Safety

No known safety hazards are related to this product.

Complementary Technical Systems

The product requires a water supply and the manufacturer recommends using potable, soft water, although hard water can also be used if no soft water is available.

Academic Research and References

Basediya, A. L., Samuel, D.V.K., and Beera, V., 2013, Evaporative cooling system for storage of fruits and vegetables – a review, J Food Sci Technol, 50, pp. 429–442.

Riangvilaikul, B. and Kumar, S., 2010, An experimental study of a novel dew point evaporative cooling system, Energy and Buildings, 42(5), pp. 637-644.

Heidarinejad, G., Bozorgmehr, M., Delfani, S. and Esmaeelian, J., 2009, Experimental investigation of two-stage indirect/direct evaporative cooling system in various climatic conditions, Building and Environment, 44(10), pp. 2073-2079.

Compliance with regulations

Unknown

Other Information

The Fenik Yuma 60 L was funded by a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The company has a video explaining their product and how it works.