In this paper we use optimal control to design minimum-time adiabatic-like paths for the expansion of a quantum piston. Under realistic experimental constraints, we calculate the minimum expansion time and compare it with that obtained from a state of the art inverse engineering method. We use this result to rederive the known upper bound for the cooling rate of a refrigerator, which provides a quantitative description for the unattainability of absolute zero, the third law of thermodynamics. We finally point out the relation of the present work to the fast adiabatic-like expansion of an accordion optical lattice, a system which can be used to magnify the initial quantum state (quantum microscope). (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.