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Optimization of distributed defrost heaters for enhanced performance in frost-free refrigerators.

Author(s) : WANG T., CHEN H., QU H., ZHAO Y., LEI X., YANG P., LIU Y.

Type of article: IJR article

Summary

Domestic refrigerators require periodic defrosting to maintain optimal performance. Traditional systems utilize a steel tube defrost heater (STDH) installed at the base of the evaporator. However, this conventional setup leads to significant thermal lag between the melting processes in the upper and lower sections of the evaporator, resulting in prolonged defrost cycles, and substantial temperature fluctuations within the freezer compartment (FC). To overcome these limitations, this study proposes an innovative distributed defrost heaters (DDHs) system designed to optimize thermal distribution based on frost accumulation patterns. The proposed system integrates a 250 W f inned tube defrost heater (FTDH) at the evaporator base with an additional 150 W STDH at the mid-section, improving the thermal distribution. Experimental results demonstrate that the 400 W DDHs configuration achieves a 24.39% reduction in defrost cycle duration and a 2.07 ◦ C decrease in FC temperature fluctuations compared to the conventional 250 W bottom-mounted STDH (BSTDH) system. Furthermore, a comprehensive energy analysis reveals that while maintaining equivalent refrigeration performance, the DDHs system reduces defrost cycle energy consumption by 5.30% compared to the BSTDH configuration. These findings highlight that the deployment of distributed heating systems not only improves defrost efficiency but also contributes to overall energy optimization, underscoring its significant potential for practical application in modern refrigeration systems.

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Pages: 13 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Optimization of distributed defrost heaters for enhanced performance in frost-free refrigerators.
  • Record ID : 30034497
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: International Journal of Refrigeration - Revue Internationale du Froid - vol. 181
  • Publication date: 2026/01
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.11.003

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