Assessment of an Integrated Household Refrigerator with an Eutectic Phase Change Material and a Solar Photovoltaic System

The use of phase change materials (PCMs) in domestic refrigerators decreases the cycling period of the compressor, which translate in an energy consumption decrease, and combining the use of the PCMs with the implementation of a solar photovoltaic system, grid energy consumption is expected to decrease even more. Two different eutectic PCMs were thermally characterized (PLUSICE E-10 and 19.5 wt. % NH4Cl), and a solar photovoltaic system was implemented. The main goal of the present work is to study the behavior of an integrated modified-evaporator of a household refrigerator with two eutectic PCMs using two different experimental tests, and to show how can the use of solar photovoltaic technology can help decrease domestic refrigerator energy consumption. © 2018 International Institute of Refrigeration. All rights reserved.