Numerical and experimental investigation of mixed convection in refrigerators

This study includes investigation of the temperature and flow fields which influence thermal condition of the domestic refrigerator. For this purposes, firstly domestic refrigerators were explained, classified and the improvement methods were specified. Suitability of the observed temperatures in the domestic refrigerators which were in the market and investigation methods of the domestic refrigerators was specified according to the studies which were in the literature. Then the numerical method was basically explained and steps of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with Heat Transfer analysis, assumptions and implemented boundary conditions were specified. Then, the experimental and numerical studies were carried out on the static (natural convection driven) and brewed (static with fan-forced convection driven) type domestic refrigerators with evaporator inside the back wall. After the accuracy of the numerical results was verified by comparing with the experimental result, the mixed convection effects were exhaustively investigated on the temperature and flow fields. Also the design parameters which influence the temperature and flow fields were determined through the numerical method. In addition two design studies were carried out according to the obtained knowledge from numerical studies. Based on this study the suitable assumptions were determined for simulations of the static and brewed type domestic refrigerator and it is shown that the numerical method is suitable for the investigation of the temperature and flow fields.