Technological Advancements in Domestic Refrigerators

Domestic Refrigerator

The invention of Refrigerator (commonly known as fridge) revolutionized the way of preserving the food and other perishable items like vegetables, meat, etc. Before the invention of refrigeration systems, foods were preserved using snow or ice found in mountains and even salt was a well-known preservative in olden days. The basis of modern domestic refrigerators can be traced back to around 1916 by Alfred Mellowes. The refrigerator had been one of the most important innovations in the home appliances category over the last century. Rising demands have also propelled the manufacturers to come up with path-breaking innovations to improve the utility of refrigerators.

In this article, we will cover the latest & trending technologies in domestic refrigerators so that the next time you decide to purchase a refrigerator you can make a smart decision.

What is a Domestic Refrigerator?

A domestic refrigerator is an electrical appliance used in many homes to keep food cool enough so that it won’t spoil. There are other types of refrigerators that are not powered by electricity, such as gas and oil-powered refrigerators. Some domestic refrigerators are single units, while others are combined with a freezer.

The basic cycle on which domestic refrigerator works is Vapour Compression Cycle. The basic components of VCC are compressor, condenser, expansion device & evaporator.

 Fig: Basic Vapour Compression Cycle

Various configurations of modern domestic refrigerators

REFRIGERATOR TYPE	FEATURES
Top - freezer	Classic design; most budget-friendly
Side by side	Budget-friendly; efficiently sized
Bottom freezer	Generous storage; convenient layout
French Door	Energy-efficient with generous storage and small swing space
Counter Depth	Low-profile build to maximize kitchen space
Mini Fridge	Compact refrigerator for smaller-scale storage

Some innovations which improved traditional domestic refrigerators in terms of power consumption, simplified interaction, noiseless operation, etc. are:

1. Convertible refrigerators

One of the amazing innovations in conventional domestic refrigerators are convertible refrigerators. These refrigerators can convert the freezer into fridge compartment and use this as a normal fridge with increased capacity.

Heart of convertible technologies lies in having two separate fans & evaporator—one for the fridge and another for the freezer. This way there is separate regularization of temperature in both the compartments, and they can run independent to each other. This conversion is easy to activate there is usually a push button for this purpose.

The performance of a convertible refrigerator can be judged based on the time required for conversion from freezer to normal fridge compartment. Also, these type of refrigerators offers various modes which can be adjusted depending on the season or as per the user’s requirement which can help in reducing energy consumption.

The various modes in convertible refrigerators are:

1.Normal Mode   2. Seasonal Mode   3. Vacation Mode   4.Extra fridge Mode

Fig: Various modes in convertible refrigerator

2. Machine Learning & Internet of Things (IoT) in refrigerators:

Machine Learning or ML as the names suggests, gives machine the ability to “learn” through experience & by continuous use of data. This ability of machine to learn is achieved by various Machine Learning algorithms that are fed into the software & with more & more data, the results become more precise & accurate.

IoT on the other hand allows various devices to connect to a particular network by use of various sensors depending on the application, micro – controllers, graphical interface & Internet and forms an interconnected network of devices.

These technologies are finding its application in various areas, including refrigerators.

So how this technology can make tasks easier for domestic refrigerators?

With the help of Machine Learning, the identification of the items in the refrigerator can be is possible. This can be achieved using computer vision, image recognition & various opensource datasets for fruits, vegetables & other items. This identification of image can help the user to identify the type of item quantify those items & accordingly notify the user regarding the scarce items in the refrigerator. It can also suggest recipes to the user for vegetables that are stored in the refrigerator. With data like odour of the item placed in refrigerator, it can predict the expiration of the perishable depending upon the date & timestamp at which the item was placed & thereby reducing the food wastage from the refrigerator.

           Fig: Refrigerator integrated with cloud & smartphone

IoT allows the refrigerator to connect with the cloud server & store the useful information of food items in the cloud server & that database can be accessed by smartphone, which will help the user to easily access that data from anywhere at any time & make smart decisions. Also, the temperature & other useful modes can be easily controlled using IoT. IoT can also help to monitor & control the refrigerator features with respect to temperature, energy consumption, cooling time, etc. without the need to physically open the door & thereby reducing energy consumption.

Fig: User Interface Providing information about items inside the refrigerator

3. Digital Inverter Compressor

The compressor is a refrigerator’s most integral component, facilitating efficient cooling. When the refrigerator is switched on, it works rigorously to cool the temperature inside. Once it reaches a pre-set temperature, the compressor switches off. As the temperature rises, it will switch on again and aid in cooling. The procedure continues throughout the appliance’s lifespan.

However, a disadvantage of conventional compressor systems is they operate continuously at a single speed. This causes it to consume more power. Additionally, when the compressor restarts every time, it experiences a surge in power. This causes it to consume more electricity. Thankfully, modern refrigerators have taken compressor technology to the next level by introducing the concept of digital inverters.

In digital inverter technology, the compressor will not switch off, nor does it operate at full speed. It will sense the external weather conditions, the inside temperature, and the load inside the fridge to adjust the speed automatically. The compressor will work at a higher speed only when the appliance demands so and will run slowly when the requirements are lower. This causes the appliance to save more power.

Another interesting feature is its noiselessness. Since the inverter compressor does not switch off and on frequently, it causes lesser noise than traditional compressors. Digital inverter technology also increases the lifespan of the fridge by up to 3 times.

 Fig: Up to 50 % power saving through Digital Inverter Compressor.

4. Advanced Power Backup Technology

 

One of the major drawbacks of conventional refrigerators is it consumes more energy and cannot be connected to an inverter. In such cases, a power cut for several hours can cause the food to become stale.

 

To address this challenge, refrigerator manufacturers have introduced the concept of “smart connect technology.” It automatically connects the fridge to your home inverter during a power failure. This helps keep your food healthy and fresh for a long time.

 

Top refrigerator brands in India also feature “Cooling Gel” which gets released in the air like a cool gas. Even during a power cut, the cool gel will circulate inside the fridge, keeping it cool for a longer time.

Certain models feature cooling gel technology that helps the food remain frozen for several hours and keeps the freezer cold even with no electricity.

Refrigerator manufacturers are continuously innovating and have pioneered the concept of “Cool Wall” within the refrigerator. The wall is intelligently designed and retains the cooling for several hours during the power cut.

 

“Cool Pack” is another technology that uses cool gel to keep your food, fruits, and vegetables inside the fridge chilled for around 12 hours during power failures.

Insulated Capillary technology, used in some refrigerators today, surrounds the capillary around the doors with super cold gas when opened. This can help the freezer retain cold temperature up to -26 degrees Celsius and retain the cooling for up to 12 hours during power cuts.

Another refrigerator model features a diamond shape at the inner edges that help slow the process of ice melting due to power outage. This enables the refrigerator to retain cooling for longer periods.

Fig: Cool Pack & Cool wall for power backup

5. Fastest Ice Making Technology

Imagine there is a party at home, and you run short of ice! Would your guests wait for hours for the ice to set? It is so embarrassing, right?

Therefore, when you buy a refrigerator, evaluate its ice-making capability. Many modern refrigerators today feature the fastest ice-making technology that helps maintain the chilled temperature inside the freezer. This allows the ice to set fast in a jiffy.

Some models feature 1-hour icing technology that will automatically reduce the freezer temperature down to -5 degrees Celsius in only 60 minutes. This will give you instant ice.

Fig: Ice dispenser integrated with refrigerator

 6. Active Fresh Technology

They have a spacious storage zone, with the bottom drawer designed to store your vegetables and a top fruit crisper for your fresh fruits. This prevents food odors to get mixed up.

Most refrigerators today also come with an anti-microbial additive that prevents the growth of 99% bacteria, keeping the food fresh and in good quality for a long time.

Fig: Active Fresh Blue Light technology creating anti – bacterial atmosphere

We hope the blog provided you meaningful insights on emerging technologies in domestic refrigerators.

References:

1.Pulkit Jain, Paras Chawla, Mehedi Masood, Shubham Mahajan and Amit Kant Pandit, “Automated Identification Algorithm Using CNN for Computer Vision in Smart Refrigerators”, Computers, Materials & Continua, CMC, 2022, vol.71, no.2

2.Muneeb Afzal C, Atiya Sultana, Shazia Anjum, Gauravi Shetty, “Smart Refrigerator with Internet of Things”, 2021 JETIR July 2021, Volume 8, Issue 7.

3.http://www.historyofrefrigeration.com/refrigeration-history/history-of-refrigerator/

4.https://www.gemindia.in/tag/new-technology-refrigerators-in-india

 

5.https://www.reviewed.com/refrigerators/features/refrigerator-trends-2021

6. A textbook of Refrigeration & Air Conditioning by R.S Khurmi, J. K Gupta.