How Refrigerator Panels Improve Cooling & Energy Efficiency

Cold rooms play an important role in several industries today.

They help pharmaceutical industries preserve vital products like vaccines, and the food and beverage industries preserve perishable food items. Their secret to performing these functions efficiently is sandwich refrigerator panels.

These panels boost the cooling efficiency and performance of the cold rooms because of their inherent properties. Let’s explore more about what these panels are before we talk about their properties below.

Table of Contents

What Are Refrigerator Sandwich Panels?

Refrigerator sandwich panels are insulated cold room panels that have two outer layers with an insulating layer in between. This insulating layer is made from different materials like Polyurethane, Expanded Polystyrene, or Polyisocyanurate.

Each of these materials has a different specialty, namely:

Material	Known For What?
Polyurethane (PU)	Insulation, Durability
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)	Good insulation, Affordability
Polyisocyanurate (PIR)	Fire resistance, Excellent insulation

Table 1: Defining Properties of PIR, EPS and PU

It is protected by the outer layers, which are collectively known as the board. Let’s now understand how these panels improve the cooling efficiency and performance of the cold rooms below.

How Do Refrigerator Sandwich Panels Improve the Cooling Efficiency & Performance of Cold Rooms?

Refrigerator panels improve the performance and cooling efficiency of cold rooms due to the following properties, as seen below.

1. High R-Value

The R-value of the core determines how well it insulates against heat loss. It is the unit for thermal efficiency of the core. The type of material used for the core determines how thermally efficient the cold room panels are.

Consider the table below to learn about the:

i) R-value of the different core materials

ii) the temperature ranges they can help the cold room maintain by insulating it against heat loss

The R value is directly proportional to the heat loss, so a higher R-value indicates higher insulation.

Material	R Value*	Temperature Range They Can Help the Cold Room Maintain*
Polyurethane (PU)	6.0 to 6.5	-62 °C to 93 °C
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)	3.8 to 4.0	-50 °C to 85 °C
Polyisocyanurate (PIR)	6.0 to 7.0	-120 °C to 120 °C

Table 2: R-Value and Temperature Range of PIR, EPS and PU

Note: *These R Values and Temperature Ranges are approximations since the exact values are impacted by the environment and working conditions*.

As evident from the table, using PIR cores reduces heat loss and improves the cooling performance of the cold rooms. It also improves the energy efficiency of the cold room.

2. Outer Layer Performance

Like the core, the outermost layers of the refrigerator panels also play a role in impacting the performance of the cold rooms.

These layers are made from galvanised steel, aluminium, or stainless steel, which impact the cooling efficiency and performance in the following manner:

Material	How It Impacts the Cooling Efficiency and Performance of The Cold Room
Galvanised Steel	Provides superior coating in extreme cold and prevents moisture/vapour entry/loss, leading to higher cooling efficiency
Aluminium	Its durability and corrosion resistance prevent structural cracks and the entry of bacteria, rodents, pests, air, and moisture
Stainless Steel	Its thermal insulation properties prevent heat loss and maintain energy efficiency

Table 3: How The Outer Layer of Refrigerator Sandwich Panels Impacts Cooling Efficiency

3. Modular Design & Associated Characteristics

Unlike traditional cold rooms, modular cold rooms have tightly interlocking panels. These panels have tongue and groove joints to ensure easy joining. Their interlocking features ensure that air can’t enter the panels or escape through the panels.

This feature prevents the environment from interfering with the performance of the refrigerator panels and decreasing their efficiency.

Rodent, Bacteria, and Pest Protection

Additionally, the tightly locking joints also prevent rodents, pests, or bacteria from entering the cool room and disrupting the system. For example, rodents might chew through the insulating material, which can lead to energy loss and a decrease in cooling.

Vapour and Moisture Resistance

Another advantage of these tightly interlocked joints is their moisture and vapour resistance. The presence of moisture or vapour can damage the food or vaccines and affect the cooling process.

These factors could cause temperature changes and affect the sensor performance, ultimately impacting energy efficiency. Moisture and vapour can also cause the growth of psychrophilic bacteria, which thrive in temperatures under 15 degrees Celsius.

4. Fire Resistance

Core materials like Polyisocyanurate (PIR) have a high degree of fire resistance. This property ensures that fire cannot damage the refrigerator panels by increasing the temperature and causing systems to malfunction.

Essentially, fire or similar high-temperature phenomena reduce the condensers’ efficiency in the cold room and damage them. That’s because the condensers have to work overtime to maintain the temperature, which could cause wear and tear.

5. Thickness

The thickness of your cold room panels also plays a role in impacting the cooling efficiency and performance of cold rooms. It is directly proportional to the heat loss, meaning a thicker panel implies reduced heat loss.

You can find panels of different thicknesses, depending on the manufacturer, such as 50 mm, 75 mm, 100 mm, and 125 mm.

Final Remarks

Refrigerator panels are essential for cool rooms to function normally, due to their insulation, modular design, and fire resistance. However, since each insulating material has its own properties, you’ll have to explore them thoroughly to determine the best one for your needs.

You’ll have to consider which industry you work in as well, since the demands of each industry are different.