Optimization of Heat Transfer Performance in Freezer Room with Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach

It is a legal requirement that refrigerators display an energy label indicating the level of energy efficiency, with a minimum of one star. In order to fulfil the aforementioned requirement, it is necessary to modify the evaporator fin pipe arrangement, changing its design from inlined to staggered. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method was employed to analyse the heat transfer performance of the evaporator fin and its impact on electrical power consumption. The study employed a two-door refrigerator model that adheres to the specifications outlined in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 6225:2015 standard. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted in two phases. The initial phase of the study sought to ascertain the mean temperature of the evaporator fin, demonstrating that the staggered pipe configuration proved more efficacious than the inlined alternative. The second phase of the study evaluated the cooling time required to reduce the temperature from 32°C to -7°C. The electrical power consumption and daily operation times for the inlined and staggered pipe arrangements were 1.23 kWh and 12.3 hours, and 1.08 kWh and 10.08 hours, respectively.