The formation of ice in coolers can occur both on the inner walls thereof as the evaporator. In certain regions, where environmental and operating conditions favor the formation of frost on the walls of the refrigerator, most of the units delivered to customers cause service calls and, in some cases, product returns. The frost formation on the evaporator, in turn, leads to reduced air flow and the loss of cooling capacity, contributing to increased system power consumption.

To better understand the problem and propose alternatives to minimize it, POLO conducts studies focused both on flat plates as in evaporators for domestic and commercial applications, with the exchanger mounted both inside and outside the system. For assays with the evaporator mounted outside the system, the laboratory has a circuit wind tunnel closed able to control the air operating conditions and the refrigerant realistic, similar ranges to those found in actual applications. In order to evaluate the process with the evaporator operating in a real system, insulating glass windows are installed in the refrigerator to visualize the process, and moisture generators or door opening devices are used to induce the formation of frost. The deicing system efficiency is also taken into account. Different electrical resistances can be tested and different modes of operation can be implemented by means of a control platform developed specifically for this purpose.