Design of a Microscale Refrigeration System for Optimizing the Usable Space in Compact Refrigerators

Abstract

This research aims to enter the miniature refrigeration machine sector with the objective of designing a small scale unit while maintaining a competitive coefficient of performance (COP), comparing with a Peltier plates system. To this end, a research of the current technology was carried out in order to obtain indicative values on the scales that were being worked on and their application. After the previous research, a refrigeration cycle was designed in EES (engineering equation solver). From this design, different conclusions were obtained: (1) The correct sizing of the compressor revolutions together with its displacement is crucial for the equipment to be able to provide the desired cooling capacity. (2) In order to obtain the desired cooling capacity in the microscale refrigeration system, the heat exchangers must have fins. (3) Of the analysed refrigerants, R600a is the best choice, as it shows favourable characteristics (high COP and low compression ratio) when working in this type of cycle.