Lagumbay, Paul Joseph C.

Lim, Darwin
Pasok, John Linwell

Thermal Analysis and Performance Test of a Non Frost Refrigerators

Review of Related Literature

In todays era, Refrigerators are enhancing through time. We are familiar of
problems created in our freezers during long time of cooling. Defrosting over and over
again through time is some of the limitations of our household refrigerators. And a new
technique has solved this problem. Non-Frost (Frost-free) Refrigerators are refrigerators
that uses heater connected to coils to give a temperature rise in the freezer using a
sensor called thermostat. This method will suddenly avoid the formation of thicker frost
in the freezers. In frost-free refrigerators, the air cooled by the evaporator is transported
and distributed to each chest through the air circulation tunnel, the supply-air openings
and the return-air openings (Xiangzhao Meng, 2009).
Most refrigerator buyers go for no-frost type. The convenience of having no need
to manually defrost is the main reason why many buyers opt for no-frost refrigerators. A
frost-free refrigerator defrosts continuously by itself and during blackout, the inside of
the fridge gets hot quickly because of lack of ice and frost inside the freezer that
supposed to sustain the cool inside the fridge in a temporary power failure. Naturally,
food get spoiled way too fast.
No Frost cooling technology distributes cool air inside faster thanks to multiple air
vents, to control the humidity, and prevent accumulation of frost on the walls or on our
food. And best of all, it does not require to defrost compartments regularly and
usually refrigerates faster.
Frost-free refrigerators are small-capacity (approximately 100 W) refrigerating
appliances comprised of one or more polyurethane insulated compartments (one of

which is for frozen-food storage) and, in most cases, of a vapor compression

refrigeration system using a volatile working fluid (HFC-134a or HC-600a). The task of
developing new household refrigeration units is motivated not only by energy
consumption regulations and environmental issues, but also by the pursuit of more
profitable products (Rodrigo S. Mitishita, 2012).
Suardi and Liuzzo aims at the realization of a new no-frost refrigerator compartment
temperature control system. With such a system, based on continuous regulation of a
variable speed compressor and fan, benefits such as reduced power consumption,
improved temperature regulation as well as noise reduction are expected. In particular,
the physical characteristics of a refrigerator system and its relevant actuators are
described together with the design activities, the main characteristics of the resultant
control algorithm and, finally, some experimental results.
While Ozyurt, Egrican, Karatas Hocaoglu, Inan) study defrost efficiency and its effects
on system performance in a top mount domestic freezer have been investigated. A dual
evaporator system, where two separate evaporators are connected either serially or
parallel, is used to discuss advantages and disadvantages of defrosting methods.
Defrost efficiency and effects of defrosting in refrigerator energy consumption are
measured. Effects of door opening is also included.
Barthel and Gotz define procedures for performance test by energy consumption
analysis. A standard definition of the daily or annual specific energy consumption per
unit is necessary to compare energy consumption of refrigerators and freezers and a
test procedure is needed to measure this specific energy consumption. The definition
and the test procedure together form a test standard. Based on the measured specific
energy consumption, energy efficiency of refrigerators and freezers is defined as the
degree of electricity consumption per equivalent volume and functional performance in
comparison to a reference appliance. This relationship between an individual appliance
and the reference appliance is often called the energy efficiency index. The standard

energy consumption of the reference appliance is often expressed as a function of the

volume.