Nov. 21, 2011: Researchers Show How to Cut Refrigerated Display Case Energy Use Up to 15 Percent
SEATTLE and FLINT, Mich. — Engineers at the University of Washington in Seattle and Kettering University in Flint, Mich., are working to cut the amount of energy used by refrigerated display cases. Results published in the journal Applied Thermal Engineering show that tweaking the physics can reduce the energy used for refrigeration by as much as 15 percent. Lead author of the report is Mazyar Amin, a former University of Washington doctoral student now doing postdoctoral research at Missouri’s Saint Louis University.
Designing display cases is not rocket science, but it has a lot in common with aeronautical engineering. Refrigerated display cases shoot jets of air across their front openings, creating an invisible shield that aims to keep cold air in and warm air out. The researchers note that current technology does this with limited success.