Fast temperature simulation and optimization of the control parameters during development process.
Within the project with Gorenje, d. d., Velenje, we developed and designed a program tool for the simulation of temperatures inside the refrigerator. In optimal work of a refrigerator the desired temperature is sustained with the lowest possible power demand. The simulator allows the simulation of temperatures inside the refrigerator at different modes of regulation. It replaces the part of the measurements, which are time consuming due to the slow thermal processes. Besides the shorter measurement time, the development costs of a refrigerator are also lowered. Next, we upgraded the simulator with an advanced optimization algorithm, to automatically find the optimal regulation of a refrigerator. According to known, measured, temperature responses, the optimizer finds the optimal refrigerator control parameters. The developed tools allow the substitution of a several-day observation of a refrigerator with a several-second simulation. This, again, substitutes a large set of measurements and lowers the development costs. Computer simulation of a refrigerator points out to almost unlimited possibilities for improvements and optimization of prototype refrigerators in order to shorten time-to-market.