Refrigerator Control for Energy Efficiency and Stable Cooling
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Summary
Problems
Refrigerators face challenges in minimizing power consumption while maintaining a consistent temperature in refrigerating and freezing chambers, as existing control methods often require frequent temperature sensing and adjustments, leading to increased energy use and temperature fluctuations.
Innovation solutions
Incorporating a damper and controller system that allows communication between the freezing and refrigerating chambers when the freezing chamber reaches a satisfaction temperature, with additional compressor driving and fan operation strategies to delay temperature increases and reduce power consumption.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If the temperature change width over time is controlled to be small based on the temperature set by the user, then the temperature fluctuation of the freezing chamber or the refrigerating chamber is reduced, but the interval of the alternating operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber is shortened, increasing power consumption
Why choose this principle:
The controller performs preliminary cooling of the freezing chamber before the refrigerating chamber temperature rises significantly. By pre-cooling the freezing chamber when the refrigerating chamber is being cooled, the system stores cold energy in advance, which can be transferred to the refrigerating chamber later to maintain its temperature without requiring frequent compressor operations, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining small temperature fluctuations.
Principle concept:
If cold air of the freezing chamber is supplied to the refrigerating chamber to delay temperature increase, then the temperature stability of the refrigerating chamber is improved, but the compressor may need to run longer to re-cool the freezing chamber
Why choose this principle:
The controller implements periodic alternating operation between the refrigerating chamber and freezing chamber cooling. Instead of continuously cooling both chambers or one chamber indefinitely, the system periodically switches which chamber receives cooling priority. This periodic action allows the freezing chamber to be re-cooled in intervals rather than continuously, reducing overall compressor running time while still maintaining temperature stability in the refrigerating chamber through timed cold air supply.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
Incorporating a damper and controller system that allows communication between the freezing and refrigerating chambers when the freezing chamber reaches a satisfaction temperature, with additional compressor driving and fan operation strategies to delay temperature increases and reduce power consumption.
Abstract
Disclosed is a refrigerator including a main body forming a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber each including a temperature sensor, a cooling unit having a compressor and an evaporator accommodated inside the main body and driven to circulate a refrigerant in the compressor and the evaporator to generate cold air around the evaporator, a fan positioned inside the main body to supply the cold air to the freezing chamber, a damper positioned between the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber and opened and closed to allow the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber to selectively communicate with each other, and a controller controlling the damper for a predetermined damper opening time when a temperature of the freezing chamber reaches a freezing satisfaction temperature according to driving of the cooling unit. A temperature change of the refrigerating chamber over time may be reduced and power consumption may be improved.