Analysis of the influence of thermal load and door opening on a refrigeration teaching bench

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.31742824191111

• Palavras-chave: Refrigeration; Teaching bench; Experiment; Consumption; Energy.

• Keywords: Refrigeration; Teaching bench; Experiment; Consumption; Energy.

• Abstract:

  The development of technologies that seek to reduce energy consumption in refrigeration systems is highly relevant today. Research on didactic refrigeration benches shows the importance of understanding how certain variables can influence the energy consumption of commercial refrigerators. Didactic refrigeration benches are equipment that can help to understand the effects of adverse operating conditions and how they impact on equipment efficiency. This study addresses the impact of door opening and thermal load on the refrigeration teaching bench in the thermal sciences laboratory at the University Center of Brusque - UNIFEBE. Experiments were carried out with and without thermal load, and with and without door openings. Opening the door on the bench resulted in a 3.67% increase in average energy consumption. The added thermal load contributed to an average increase of 6.7% in energy consumption. Due to the opening of the door, and the humidity that entered the system, there is an extra energy consumption of 28.75 kWh per year. Measured values and calculations showed an increase in energy consumption in the experiments carried out on the teaching bench related to the thermal load and door opening. The results highlight the importance of controlling energy consumption and reducing the frequency and time of door openings on refrigerators, contributing to the conscious and sustainable use of this equipment.