4398 -- Impact of Temperature Control Approaches on the Thermal Performance of a Household Refrigerator

A computational model has been developed to simulate the temperature cycles of the freezing and fresh food compartments in a household refrigerator. Modeling consists of two parts coupled with each other: a refrigerating system and a temperature cycle in the compartments of the refrigerator. The refrigeration system, which includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and a capillary tube, is modeled based on their performance data, measured or provided by the manufacturers. The temperature variation in the refrigerator during a cycle is simulated using the lumped capacitance method. The switching on and off of the compressor is controlled by using a given temperature control band for the freezer. Numerical simulations were carried out for the thermal performance of a 25 ft 3 side-by-side refrigerator. The model predictions of temperature are validated against the experimental data. The predicted ideal mass flow rate of the fresh food compartment vs. time for keeping a constant temperature in the fresh food compartment is reported. The effect of the temperature control approaches on the temperature performance of the refrigerator is studied for different ambient temperatures from 21.1°C (70°F) to 32.2°C (90°F).

Units: Dual