Experimental analysis of heat transfer and airflow in a closed refrigerated display cabinet

This study presents the experimental investigations on heat transfer and airflow in a closed refrigerated display cabinet. Air and product temperatures and air velocity were measured with thermocouples and a hot-wire anemometer, respectively. Temperature variation in the cabinet depends on the positions. The front areas contributed to higher temperature, whereas the rear areas were at a lower temperature. Benefits of doors were also examined by comparing the results of air and product temperatures with the case without doors. The cabinet with doors provided less temperature heterogeneity (ΔTmax= 2.1 °C) compared to the case without door (ΔTmax= 4.9 °C). The maximum air velocity in the air curtain of 0.6 m s⁻¹ was observed at the discharge grille. The horizontal air velocity from the perforated plate was low (<0.2 m s⁻¹) for all shelves. The loading percentage in the cabinet did not significantly affect the airflow rate through the perforated plate.