AbstractBased on a recently developed non-perturbative platform designed to simulate the full quantum dynamics of quantum thermal machines, the situation of a quantum refrigerator operating according to an Otto cycle is studied. The periodic steady-state dynamics is discussed in detail as well as the key thermodynamic quantities work, heat, and entropy. A particular benefit of the formulation is that it allows to access explicitly the work required for switching on and off the interaction with the respective thermal reservoirs in a consistent way. The domains in which the device operates in refrigerator mode are characterized.