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Experimental and numerical characterization of airflow in a closed refrigerated display cabinet using PIV and CFD techniques
Author(s)
Date Issued
March 1, 2020
Type
Article
Abstract
Air velocity measurements were carried out using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique in a display cabinet under two configurations: closed and open doors. Two conditions (refrigeration system turned “on” and turned “off”) were studied in the closed configuration. The airflow pattern was almost the same for both conditions. The air curtain was quite stable. In the upper part of the cabinet, air recirculation occurred, and this phenomenon induces external air infiltration through the door gaps. The air curtain in the open configuration (refrigeration system turned “off”) was less stable than the closed configuration. Large unsteady eddies developed in the mixing layers, thereby promoting greater external air infiltration. A two-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (2D-CFD) model was developed and showed the ability to reproduce the main flow phenomena observed in the experiment. The trend of predicted product temperature profile was also in agreement with the experimental values, despite slight underestimation.
Citation
International Journal of Refrigeration, 111, 168-177, 2020