By introducing doors on refrigerated display cabinets, the energy demand is substantially decreased. However, there exist significant discrepancies in temperature readings between visually identical refrigerated display cabinets equipped with doors. This study explores the cause and consequences of these differences. The exploratory methodology used within the study has used CFD simulations combined with laboratory experiments to conclude that there exists a thermal gradient in the area of the return air temperature sensor causing these discrepancies to occur. Thus, the temperature sensors position within the thermal gradient affects the perceived temperature of the control system and thereby the refrigeration strategy adopted by it. To follow up on the consequences of this observed issue, two field studies were performed to investigate the effects and occurrence of temperature sensors within the thermal gradient. Through this, it was concluded that by moving the return air sensors away from the thermal gradient, the refrigerated display cabinets were performing more uniformly as well as with a reduced heat extraction demand. Additionally, from the field study investigating the occurrence, it was found that 80.5% of the 221 reviewed refrigerated display cabinets had sensors placed in a zone where a thermal gradient exists.

通过在冷藏展示柜上安装门，可大大降低能源需求。但是，在配备门的外观相同的冷藏展示柜之间，温度读数存在显着差异。这项研究探讨了这些差异的原因和后果。该研究中使用的探索性方法已将CFD模拟与实验室实验结合使用，得出结论，回风温度传感器区域存在热梯度，导致出现这些差异。因此，温度传感器在热梯度内的位置会影响控制系统的感知温度，从而影响控制系统采用的制冷策略。为了跟进此问题的后果，进行了两项现场研究，以研究温度梯度内温度传感器的影响和发生情况。由此得出的结论是，通过将回风传感器移开远离温度梯度的位置，冷藏展示柜的性能更加统一，并且减少了热量提取需求。此外，从现场调查中发现了这一点，发现80.5在221个经过审查的冷藏展示柜中，有％的传感器放置在存在温度梯度的区域中。