CH-95-24-2 -- Evaluation of Design Options for Improving the Energy Efficiency of an Environmentally Safe Domestic Refrigerator-Freezer PDF

In order to reduce greenhouse emissions from power plants and respond to regulatory actions arising from the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA), several design options were investigated for improving the energy efficiency of a conventionally designed, domestic refrigerator-freezer. The options, such as improved cabinet insulation and high-efficiency compressor and fans, were incorporated into a prototype refrigerator-freezer cabinet and refrigeration system to produce a unit that is superior from an environmental viewpoint due to its lower energy consumption and the use of refrigerant R134a (a hydrofluorocarbon [HFC]) as a replacement for R12 (a chlorofluorocarbon [CFC]). Baseline energy performance of the original 1993 production refrigerator-freezer, along with cabinet heat load and compressor calorimeter test results, was extensively documented to provide a firm basis for experimentally measured energy savings. A detailed refrigerator system computer model was used to evaluate the energy savings for several design modifications that, collectively, could achieve a targeted energy consumption of 1.00 kWh/day for a 20-ft3 (570-L) top-mount, automatic-defrost refrigerator-freezer. The energy consumption goal represents a 50% reduction in the 1993 NAECA standard for units of this size. Following the modelling simulation, laboratory prototypes were fabricated and tested to experimentally verify the analytical results and aid in improving the model in those areas where discrepancies occurred. While the 1.00-kWh/day goal was not achieved with the modifications, a substantial energy-efficiency improvement of 22% (1.41 kWh/day) was demonstrated using near-term technologies. It is noted that each improvement exacts a penalty in terms of increased cost or system complexity/reliability. Further work on this project will analyse the cost-effectiveness of the design changes and investigate alternative, more elaborate refrigeration system changes to further reduce energy consumption.

KEYWORDS: year 1995, calculating, designing, energy, efficiency, domestic, refrigerators, freezers, thermal insulation, prototypes, energy conservation, refrigerants, R134a, replacing, refrigeration, energy consumption, heat loss, measuring, compressors, testing, heat load