Simulation of Product Performance Based on Real Product-Usage Information: First Results of Practical Application to Domestic Refrigerators

Today’s connected products increasingly allow us to collect and analyze information on how they are actually used. An engineering activity where usage data can prove particularly useful, and be converted to actionable engineering knowledge, is simulation: user behavior is often hard to model, and collected data representing real user interactions as simulation input can increase realism of simulations. This is especially useful for (i) investigating use-related phenomena that influence the product’s performance and (ii) evaluating design variations on how they succeed in coping with real users and their behaviors. In this paper we explored time-stamped usage data from connected refrigerators, investigating the influence of door openings on energy consumption and evaluating control-related design variations envisaged to mitigate negative effects of door openings. We used a fast-executing simulation setup that allowed us to simulate much faster than real time and investigate usage over a longer time. According to our first outcomes, door openings do not affect energy consumption as much as some literature suggests. Through what-if studies we could evaluate three design variations and nevertheless point out that particular solution elements resulted in better ways of dealing with door openings in terms of energy consumption.