Practical Application of R 600a Isobutane and R 290 Propane in Small Hermetic Systems

Refrigerant R 600a – isobutane and R 290 – propane are possible replacements for other re-
frigerants, which have high impact on environment, in small hermetic systems, like factory
made household and commercial refrigerators and freezers. They have zero ozone depletion
potential ODP and a neglectible global warming potential GWP. Furthermore they are part of
petrol gases from natural sources.
The refrigerant R 600a has been in use in the past, in refrigerators up to the 40'es, and has
now again found a wide use in domestic refrigerators and freezers in Europe, where most
refrigerators today are manufactured using R 600a as refrigerant.
Isobutane R 600a is a well suited refrigerant for household application, with good energy ef-
ficiency, but with a very different characteristic in several points, which implies the design to
be made or adopted.
The refrigerant R 290 has been in use in refrigeration plants in the past, and is still used in
some industrial plants. In domestic heat pumps and air conditioners R 290 has been used in
Germany and Sweden for some years, however, with different level of success.
Because of the availability of isobutane and propane all over the world they have been dis-
cussed widely for CFC, H-CFC and HFC replacement.
Isobutane R 600a and Propane R 290 are possible refrigerants for these applications, with
good energy efficiency, but special care has to be taken to the flammability.