Abstract
In this study, the vibration and acoustic interactions between the structure and the cavity inside the freezer cabinet were investigated. Thus, a set of numerical and experimental analyses were performed. In the numerical analysis, the acoustic characteristics of the freezer cavity were solved, and the mixed finite element method was then implemented to analyse the coupled behaviour of the cavity with the air duct using the Acoustic Fluid-Structure Interaction (AFSI) technique. In the experimental analyses, an acoustic modal analysis of the freezer cavity and a structural modal analysis of the air duct were performed for the validation process. A good agreement was obtained among the results. Thus, the accuracy of the numerical model was confirmed. The validated models were used for optimizing the design. To solve the noise generation mechanism inside the freezer cabinet, the noise primarily generated by the freezer fan unit was measured under normal working conditions of the refrigerator, and the resonance frequencies were obtained. This information was compared with the normal modes of the air duct, and the overlapping frequencies were identified. To reduce the interaction between the source and the structure, a few design modifications were applied to the air duct. Thus, the structural-borne noise radiating from the air duct into the freezer cavity was reduced.
Highlights
One modern innovation is the no-frost type of refrigerator, which uses an autodefrost technique that regularly defrosts the evaporator in a refrigerator or freezer
To solve the interaction between the air duct and the freezer cavity, the overlapping frequencies were identified, and a design optimization process was performed to change the natural frequencies of the structure; the interaction between the domains was reduced
A mixed finite element method is used to solve the acoustic-structure interaction of the acoustic cavity coupled with the elastic body
Summary
One modern innovation is the no-frost (or frost free) type of refrigerator, which uses an autodefrost technique that regularly defrosts the evaporator in a refrigerator or freezer This type of refrigerator is equipped with an additional ventilation fan mounted in the air duct to circulate the cooled air and aid in the defrosting process. The increasing demand for larger fresh-food storage capacities results in refrigerators with larger volumes, which need faster ventilation fans to generate larger flow rates. This high-speed rotation generates more sound energy, and this situation increases the priority of the fan among the other noise sources in the refrigerator. This case demonstrates that applying new technologies in refrigerators involves additional noise and vibration sources, which need to be investigated
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