Performance Improvement of a Domestic Refrigerator by using PCM (Phase Change Material)
The paper investigates the performance improvement provided by a phase change material associated with the evaporator in a domesticrefrigerator. The heat release and storage rate of a refrigerator is depends upon the characteristics of refrigerant and its properties. Theusage of PCM as TS will help to improve the COP (Coefficient of performance) of new refrigeration cycle by introducing a new sub coolingroutine. The analysis of the experiment exemplifies the improvement of the system coefficient of performance considerably. Using water asPCM and for a certain thermal load it is found that the coefficient of performance of the conventional refrigerator increased by 55-60%.This improvement by sub cooling can be done for single evaporator refrigeration system. Because of prolonging of the compressor off timeby using the latent heat of energy of the PCM capsulated ice, used as the thermal energy storage material, has been investigatednumerically. We can have better food quality due to lower hysteresis cycles of on/off for a given period of operation.
