A simple optimization approach for the insulation thickness distribution in household refrigerators

•New analytical method to find the optimal insulation thickness in refrigerators.•The method is suitable for both single and dual compartment configurations.•The method can provide the optimal configuration for a given energy efficiency index.•Vacuum insulation panels can be easily included in the o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of refrigeration 2018-09, Vol.93, p.169-175
Main Authors: Trias, F.X., Oliet, C., Rigola, J., Pérez-Segarra, C.D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aïllament tèrmic
Configurations
Domestic refrigerator
Electric equipment
Energies
Energy labeling
Estalvi d'energia
Freezers
Insulation
Insulation (Heat)
Isolation
Lagrange multiplier
Lagrange multipliers
Multiplicateurs de Lagrange
Optimisation
Optimization
Refrigeració
Refrigeració i màquines frigorífiques
Refrigeration
Refrigeration and refrigerating machinery
Refrigerators
Réfrigérateur domestique
Termoenergètica
Thermal engineering
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC
Étiquetage énergétique
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Summary:•New analytical method to find the optimal insulation thickness in refrigerators.•The method is suitable for both single and dual compartment configurations.•The method can provide the optimal configuration for a given energy efficiency index.•Vacuum insulation panels can be easily included in the optimization strategy.•Method extended considering the ventilation channel clearance behind the unit. Determination of the optimal insulation thickness is of great relevance in many thermal engineering applications. In this paper, a simple optimization strategy based on the Lagrange multipliers is presented. The optimal set of thicknesses is analytically found for different constraints and objective functions of interest for the refrigeration industry. Namely, the minimization of heat losses in a single compartment with fixed internal and external volumes and the optimal configuration for a prescribed energy efficiency index. Then, these two basic problems are extended for configurations with two compartments, e.g. domestic refrigerators–freezers, and for configurations with vacuum insulation panels. Optimization problems for realistic configurations show the great potential of the proposed methodology for industrial refrigeration applications.
ISSN:0140-7007
1879-2081
DOI:10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2018.06.014