Currently, polyurethane (PU) foam is used in most refrigerators as a thermal insulator, whereby the material contributes to structural stiffness by joining the refrigerator cases; however, refrigerator PU foam induces a low thermal efficiency and results in environmental contamination. To resolve these issues, we applied the vacuum insulated panel (VIP) instead of PU form in the design of a new refrigerator type, whereby the VIP significantly contributes to the rectification of the previously mentioned issues. The VIP structure, however, cannot effectively hold refrigerator cases, so the present study investigated a new frame-structure concept by evaluating the stiffness using the topology optimization of refrigerator cases. Lastly, a refrigerator prototype comprising an optimal frame structure was built and subject to a stiffness test, and a comparison of the test results with those of a conventional refrigerator show that the structural stiffness of the prototype is sufficiently effective.
