A review of refrigerator gasket: Development trend, heat and mass transfer characteristics, structure and material optimization

Refrigerators consume a large amount of energy every year around the world. The gasket is an important component in a refrigerator, and its sealing and thermal insulation properties have a significant influence on the refrigeration performance and the energy efficiency level of a refrigerator. This study presents a comprehensive review of key technologies related to the refrigerator gasket. Since 1920, with the improvement of sealing and thermal insulation requirements, the structure and materials of refrigerator gaskets have changed greatly. The CFD technique is an effective method to study the heat transfer characteristics of gasket with the complexity of structure. An indirect test method is usually used to estimate the heat transfer load based on the Reverse Heat Loss Method (RHLM) with the assistance of heat flux sensors. The air infiltration through gasket is mainly dependent on the flow gaps, the pressure difference between the cabinet inside and outside, and the flow type. The tracer gas technology can be introduced to quantify the mass transfer through gasket. The energy-saving design of gasket structure is also introduced in this article. The material formulation is the key factor to determine the migration resistance and mechanical properties. This review is expected to motivate future researches on refrigerator gasket.