Case study: Experimental characterization of noise and vibration sources in a refrigerator

The sources of noise and vibration of a refrigerator are characterized by means of laboratory measurements. Three different elements are considered: compressor, evaporator fan, and condenser fan. Both the radiated acoustic energy and the mechanical power injected to the refrigerator structure are measured. Acoustic intensity maps on the refrigerator faces at different frequencies are also provided They are helpful in visualizing the more problematic zones in terms of noise emis- sion. The devices are tested in vacuo or working inside the refrigerator. The provided information can be used as input data for vibroacoustic simulation models such as statistical energy analysis. It is also of interest in order to improve the refrigerator acoustic design.