Abstract: Numerical models were established for refrigerators under free and embedded conditions. The airflow and heat dissipation in the compressor compartment were simulated. Then the reliability of the models was validated by experiments. The simulation results showed that, compared with the free state, the airflow resistance of the built-in refrigerator increased between the compressor compartment and the outside. The main flow direction switched from “side in side out” into “bottom in bottom out”. The total air volume dropped by 28.6%, the short circuit air volume increased by 32.2%, which raised the inlet air temperature. Hence, the condenser surface average temperature increased by 13.9℃, and the average temperature on the top of the compressor increased by 27.6℃. In the embedded state, the heat dissipation of the condenser deteriorated, which increased the compressor pressure ratio and eventually led to the power consumption of the refrigerator increasing by 13.66%. This paper can provide theoretical guidance for the optimization of heat dissipation performance of the embedded refrigerator.

Key words: Built-in refrigerator, Condenser, Heat dissipation deterioration, Refrigerator performance