Effect of Vacuum Insulation Panels on Energy Consumption and Thermal Load Transfer between Compartments in a Three-Temperature Frost-Free Refrigerator

Rijing Zhao, Lin Qiao, Zijian Gao and Dong Huang
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Rijing Zhao: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, China
Lin Qiao: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, China
Zijian Gao: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, China
Dong Huang: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-14

Abstract: The three-temperature frost-free refrigerator is popular in China currently, which adopts a single evaporator and separate air ducts to distribute cold air into all compartments, i.e., the fresh food compartment (FFC), the variable temperature compartment (VTC), and the freezer compartment (FZC). Two identical refrigerators with cyclopentane insulation are comparatively studied in this article, one with vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) in two sidewalls and the other without. Results show that VIPs reduce the steady-state energy consumption of the refrigerator by 12.4% due to smaller average power input and longer compressor-off duration. The decrease in average power input originates from a shorter FFC-damper-on duration since VIPs reduce its thermal load. However, the FFC average temperature rises unexpectedly with shorter damper-on and longer damper-off durations, and induces thermal load transfer from FFC to FZC through the mixing of return air in the evaporator chamber. Consequently, FZC-only duration increases and compensates for the decrease in FFC-damper-on duration, resulting in an overall similar compressor-on duration. Simulation results of the heat transfer process through the evaporator are also provided in both cases to obtain a full view of the thermal load transfer process.

Keywords: frost-free refrigerator; vacuum insulation panel; energy consumption; thermal load transfer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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