Performance optimization of open refrigerated display cabinet based on response surface method

The quality of air curtain is very important for the energy saving, which can be found in many scenarios, such as open refrigerated display cabinet (ORDC), refrigeration storage, mall, and restaurant. ORDC uses the air curtain as a barrier to reduce the mixing of cold and ambient air. During operation, the ORDC performance, including the quality of air curtain, can be affected by many factors. Therefore, the impact of seven parameters, including the structural parameter, operating parameter, and ambient parameter, is fully discussed by using the validated model and response surface method (RSM). The regression equations for each performance indicator are obtained, which can also be used to optimize the ORDC. Results showed not only the impact of single parameter, but also the interactive impact of multi-parameter should be carefully optimized. Compared the basic condition, the optimal parameter could decrease the thermal entrainment factor (TEF) by 44 %, the energy consumption by 8.4 %, and the temperature uniformity by 0.38 degrees C. The conclusion obtained in this paper could provide a guidance and optimization method when optimizing ORDC and other devices with air curtain.