Cascaded hydrocarbons deliver low-temp medical freezing

Medical Systems has developed low-temp freezers using propane and butane in conjunction with one another.

B Medical Systems ultra low-temperature line.

Credit: B Medical Systems

B Medical Systems, a Luxembourg provider of medical equipment, launched new ultra low-temperature R170 (ethane)/R290 (propane) cascade refrigeration units that reach below -80°C in December 2018.

“B Medical Systems’ Ultra Low Freezers rely on the cascaded refrigeration system using two natural refrigerants – R170 and R290 [which] increases the overall cooling efficiency while at the same time minimizing environmental impact,” the firm says in a white paper.

The ultra low-temperature freezers, aimed at the medical industry, consume between 9.1 – 12.4 KWh of electricity every 24hrs. By comparing the new freezers to 22 other ultra low-temperature freezers on the market, which consumed an average of 20kWh/24 hours, the natural refrigerant freezers from B Medical Systems were found to consume 30% less energy.

By investing in a B Medical Systems ultra-low freezer, an end user can save up to 5.6 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions from entering the atmosphere compared to the conventional Ultra Low Freezers currently in operation, according to the Luxembourg-based company.