Multi-objective optimization of household refrigerator with novel heat-storage condensers by Genetic algorithm

•A novel multi-objective global optimization method for refrigerator is proposed.•Global optimization of a novel refrigerator should be done to improve performance.•Optimized curve on cost and energy consumption of a novel refrigerator is acquired.•Optimized results of novel refrigerator with PCM are compared and studied.•Energy consumption and cost of optimized novel refrigerator are reduced greatly.

A novel multi-objective global optimization method combining refrigerator dynamic model and Genetic algorithm NSGA-II is proposed for increasing overall performance of household refrigerator. A novel refrigerator with heat-storage condensers and an ordinary refrigerator with conventional hot-wall condensers are optimized by the method for multi-objectives of minimizing total cost and energy consumption per 24 h. After the optimization, overall performances of the novel refrigerator and ordinary refrigerator are both increased. Optimized curves on multi-objectives of the novel refrigerator and ordinary refrigerator are obtained and compared with each other. In the optimized curve, for one value of energy consumption per 24 h, a corresponding optimized total cost is acquired. Optimization result of the novel refrigerator is better than that of the ordinary refrigerator. Under the condition of same total cost, energy saving of optimized novel refrigerator compared with optimized ordinary refrigerator is from 20% to 26%. Under the condition of same energy consumption per 24 h, cost saving of optimized novel refrigerator compared with optimized ordinary refrigerator is from $1.8 to $3.4.