Aerofoil Energy to build a new, ultra-efficient supermarket fridge
The Elite project involves the design of a supermarket refrigeration display cabinet to maximise its aerodynamic and cooling efficiency, in turn reducing its energy consumption by 50% or more in comparison with the prevailing range of cabinets. The lead partner, Aerofoil Energy, is an award-winning technology company specialising in energy-efficiency innovations for food retail refrigeration. Aerofoil Energy has already installed 1.4 million units of its patented shelf-edge ‘Aerofoil’ technology in over 4,000 supermarkets, convenience stores and food outlets internationally. The company has also developed a suite of patented technologies suitable for installation in conventional new-build cabinets.
This project represents a significant further advancement in adopting a ground-up redesign of the geometry and heat-transfer properties of a cabinet to optimise the flow of cold air throughout, eliminate warm air entrainment and ensure consistent product temperatures with no hot-spots. High-fidelity simulations of the new Aerofoil Energy design indicate achievable energy savings in comparison with conventional open-fronted refrigeration cabinets of 50%. Moreover, the Aerofoil Energy cabinet will be designed to maximise the benefits of glass doors for those retailers that choose to fit them, overcoming the performance shortfalls currently associated with high-frequency door openings and delivering an improvement in energy efficiency of over 65%.
Phased adoption of the Aerofoil Energy cabinet as part of retailers’ new store or asset renewal programmes is estimated to result in the avoidance of 2.7 million metric tonnes CO2 over the next two decades, and will therefore be a major component of supermarkets’ net zero commitments as well as contributing to the UK’s overall target. Aerofoil Energy will complement its own expertise in bringing new innovations to market, with the CFD modelling, prototyping and development facilities at Williams Advanced Engineering. The project will also help accelerate the parallel development and incorporation of complementary technologies. Performance testing and carbon impact will be validated by the Institute of Energy Futures at Brunel University London. The development programme will be guided by an expert panel of industry consultants and representatives from one or more leading UK supermarket chains.