2D CFD simulation of dynamic heat transfer in an open-type refrigerated display cabinet

Abstract

This study uses a simplified two-dimensional time-dependent computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model to study the influence of wall shelf configuration and outtake honeycomb inclination angle on the performance of the air curtain in an open-type semi- vertical refrigerated display cabinet. Numerical simulation results show that changing the angle, along with changing the shelf configuration, can reduce the temperature of the intake air grille and improve the warm/cold air ratio. The average temperature of the simulated food products decreased by 1.2 °C compared to the unmodified display cabinet and began to meet the requirements of the temperature category 3M0. The proposed CFD model was validated by the experimental results. The simulation results obtained are important for cabinet design to improve product storage quality and reduce energy consumption.