Multi-objective optimization of economic thickness of insulated compartment for refrigerator vehicles

Abstract

Aiming at the multi-objective design problem for the refrigerated compartment, an optimal design model of the refrigerated compartment was established. The actual constraints of depreciation of insulating material for compartments increased the cost of transportation due to insulating materials and the cost of refrigeration due to compartment body transfer, compartment sealing and respiratory heat of cargo, its main design parameters were comprehensively considered. The maximum available space of the compartment and the minimum cost of single transporting were selected as objective function. Parameters of the refrigerated compartment were optimized with MATLAB software, and the available space of the refrigerated compartment and the cost of single transporting under different parameters were analyzed. Results showed that the optimized design method was suitable for refrigerated compartment. The optimized results of available space of refrigerated compartment and the cost of single transporting were different under different conditions. When the heat insulation material was respectively foaming with polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, polyurethane, in a longer transporting mileage from 50 to 500km, the corresponding optimal thickness of insulating materials of compartment body was thicker. Under the condition that the available space of refrigerated compartment reached the maximum and single transportation cost of the refrigerated compartment reached the minimum at the same time, when the average transporting mileage was 50km, the corresponding optimal thickness of heat insulation material was 0.11m with polystyrene, 0.09m with extruded polystyrene and 0.08m with polyurethane, while the available space of the refrigerated compartment was 12.0892m3, 12.7820m3, and 13.1375m3 respectively, and the corresponding cost of single transporting was CNY 5453.27, 4964.24 and 4847.98.