See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/275939275

Feasibility of using hydrocarbon mixture (R436a) as refrigerant in domestic

refrigerators

Conference Paper · October 2010

CITATIONS READS

2 5,448

4 authors, including:

Mehdi Rasti Seyedfoad Aghamiri

Pusan National University University of Isfahan
17 PUBLICATIONS   383 CITATIONS    65 PUBLICATIONS   891 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Mohammad S. Hatamipour
University of Isfahan
104 PUBLICATIONS   1,578 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Experimental and theoretical calcium sulfate fouling in liquid solid fluidized bed heating system View project

Fluidization View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Mehdi Rasti on 06 May 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

13th Iranian National Chemical Engineering Congress
& 1st International Regional Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Kermanshah, Iran, 25-28 October, 2010

Feasibility of using hydrocarbon mixture (R436a) as refrigerant in

domestic refrigerators

M. Rasti1, S.F. Aghamiri1, M.S. Hatamipour1, M. Tavakoli2

1-Chem. Eng. Dept., University of Isfahan, Isfahan, I.R. Iran
2-R&D Dept., Entekhab Industrial Group, Isfahan, I.R. Iran
mehdi.rasti@eng.ui.ac.ir

Abstract
R134a is using as refrigerant in most of domestic refrigerators and freezers. But due to its high
GWP1, Kyoto protocol called for phase out of R134a and replace it with new low ODP2 and GWP
refrigerants. Pure hydrocarbons like propane (R290), n-butane (R600) and i-butane (R600a) and
mixtures have zero ODP and 20 GWP. This paper presents feasibility study of using hydrocarbons
mixture as substitutes for R134a in a domestic refrigerator. A domestic R134a type refrigerator
was filled with R436a that is a mixture of Propane and iso Butane (with 56 % wt of Propane) and turned
on in a test room. Meanwhile the temperatures at various locations in the domestic refrigerator,
consumed energy, compressor power and pressure at suction and discharge of the compressor had
been recorded. The experiments were repeated for different surrounding temperatures at a fixed
relative humidity. Experiments had been done for a same R134a refrigerator, and results for both
refrigerants were compared. Also the effect of injected amount of R436a has been studied in this
work. The results showed that R436a can be considered as a convenient alternative for R134a
provided the optimum conditions can be determined.

Keywords: R436a; R134a; Hydrocarbon mixture; ODP; GWP

Introduction
Domestic refrigerators usually use R12 and R134a as refrigerant due to their excellent
thermodynamic and thermophysical properties. According to Montreal and Kyoto protocols
R12 should be phased out up to 2010 and the consumption of R134a must be reduced,
respectively. The reason for the removing R12 is its ODP effect, whereas GWP effect of
R134a is the motive for reducing this refrigerant. Table 1 shows the properties of some
refrigerants that are used in the domestic refrigerators and freezers.
From the environmental, ecological and health point of view, it is urgent to find some better
substitute for HFC refrigerants [1]. Domestic refrigerator and freezers are identified as
major energy consuming domestic appliance in household environment [2]. Many
researchers have reported that hydrocarbon mixtures as refrigerant is found to be an
environment friendly alternative option in domestic refrigerators.

1
- Global Warming Potential
2
-Ozone Depletion Potential
Feasibility of using hydrocarbon mixture (R436a)……

Table 1. Properties of some refrigerants

Refrigerant Chemical Molecular Explosive limits in air, Safety
ODP GWP
Number formula Weight % by volume Group
12 CCl2F2 120.9 Nonflammable A1 1 10900
134a CH2FCF 102.0 Nonflammable A1 0 1430
290 C3H8 44.0 2.3-7.3 A3 0 20
600a iC4H10 58.1 1.8-8.4 A3 0 20
436a C3H8+iC4H10 49.33 1.7-7.7 A3 0 3

Sattar et al. [3] used pure butane as refrigerant at 25 °C and 28 °C ambient temperatures
and found that when R134a is used the compressor consumes 2.08 kWh/day and 2.25
kWh/day, but when pure butane is used it consumes 2.199 kWh/day and 2.197 kWh/day,
respectively. Mani and Selladurai [4] reported that the R290/R600a (68/32 by wt %) mixture
can be considered as an alternative replacement refrigerant for R12 and R134a because it
had 19.9% to 50.1% higher refrigerating capacity than R12 and 28.6% to 87.2% than R134a.
However it consumed 6.8% to 17.4% more energy than R12. Ching-Song et al. [5] reported
that based on the experimental investigation on a 50/50 wt ratio of R290/R600a in a 440 L
capacity home refrigerator they have found a total saving of 4.4% in energy consumption and
refrigerant charge is reduced by 40% compared to 150 g for R134a. Mohanraj et al. [6] used
a hydrocarbon refrigerant mixture (composed of R290 and R600a in the ratio of 45.2:54.8 by
weight) as an alternative to R134a in a 200 L single evaporator domestic refrigerator under
different ambient temperatures (24, 28, 32, 38 and 43 °C) and found that 60 g hydrocarbon
mixture show a decrease in energy consumption, pull-down time and on-time ratio by about
11.1%, 11.6% and 13.2%, respectively; with 3.25–3.6% higher COP1. The discharge
temperature of hydrocarbon mixture was found to be 8.5 to 13.4 K lower than that of R134a
and hydrocarbon mixture needed longer length of capillary tube by about 25% to achieve the
same COP compared to 110 g R134a. The literature survey showed that many researchers [7-
11] have studied different hydrocarbon refrigerant mixtures as alternative to R12 and R134a
in domestic refrigerators under various surrounding temperatures and mass ratio of
refrigerant. The results support the possibility of using hydrocarbon mixture as an alternative
to R134a in domestic refrigerators and freezers. Table 2 shows thermodynamic properties of
R134a and some hydrocarbons.

Table 2. Thermodynamic properties of used refrigerants in this work

Refrigerant Normal Boiling Critical Critical ΔHv (kJ/kg)
Number Point °C temperature °C Pressure Mpa
R134a -26 101.1 4.06 216.87
R290 -42 96.7 4.25 423.33
R600a -12 134.7 3.64 364.25
R436a -34.5 114* 3.94* 367
R436a is a mixture of Propane and Iso Butane (with 56 %wt of Propane)
* Those calculated by Pc=∑xi×Pci and Tc=∑xi×Tci

Experiments
A domestic refrigerator that was essentially designed for R134a had been employed. The most
important specification of this refrigerator are summarized in Table 3. R134a and R436a
(OS-12a) as refrigerant were obtained from Parsian Refrigeration Development.Co. and
R134a from T. S ENTERPRISE CO.

1
- Coefficient Of Performance
13th Iranian National Chemical Engineering Congress
& 1st International Regional Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Kermanshah, Iran, 25-28 October, 2010

Table 3. Technical specifications of domestic refrigerator test unit

Freezer Capacity 60 liter
Fresh Food Capacity 178 liter
Current rating 0.8 A
Voltage 220-240 V
Frequency 50 Hz
No of doors 2
Refrigerant type R134a
Defrost system Auto Defrost
Charged mass 105 g
Capillary tube length 270 cm
Capillary tube Inner diameter 0.78 mm
This refrigerator has been essentially designed for R134a.

The refrigerator had been located in a chamber as a test room and the ambient conditions
(the surrounding temperature and relative humidity) were adjusted automatically.
Temperatures in the 12 points of the refrigerator were monitored and recorded continuously.
In addition, voltage and consumed current, ambient temperature and relative humidity, were
gathered continuously for a cycle through a data acquisition system. By analyzing these data,
energy consumption, working time and on-time ratio of the compressor were calculated. The
starting conditions, both inside the refrigerator and the refrigeration equipment, were the
same for all experiments. The results are summarized in Table 4.

Table 4. Comparison between R134a and R436a results at 105 g R134a and 50 g R436a at ambient
temperatures between 25 – 43 oC and relative humidity of 50%
Refrigerant R134a R436a
Ambient temperature, oC 25 32 43 25 32 43
Discharge Pressure, kPa 1110 1285 1500 1430 1480 1810
Suction pressure, kPa 111 105 101 103 122 142
Pull-down time (min) 112 197 572+defrost 197 201 520+defrost
Discharge temperature oC 60 74 93 67 78.7 104
Power consumption (w) 133 130 136 157 151 174
Freezer air temperature oC -18 -20 -21 -20.2 -21.5 -22
Cabinet air temperature oC 5.5 5 6 6.7 6.6 6.5
On-time (min) 34 55 120 40 50 110
Off-time (min) 94 57 31 104 60 34
On-time ratio (%) 0.26 0.49 0.79 0.27 0.45 0.76
Energy consumption (kwh/day) 0.965 1.936 3.052 1.292 2.130 3.794
No. of defrost in 24 h 1 2 3 1 2 3
Suction temperature oC 28 32.5 41 20.5 27.5 36.7

The time required to reduce the air temperature inside the refrigerator from ambient
condition to the desired freezer and cabin air temperatures called Pull-down time [6]. Pull-
down tests were carried out at 32 °C ambient temperature for 105 g R134a, and 32, 40 and
50 g R436a. The pull-down time was required to reach the desired freezer air temperature
Feasibility of using hydrocarbon mixture (R436a)……

and cabin air temperatures are indicated in Figs 1 and 2, respectively. It was observed that
32 and 40 g R436a could not be considered for replacement of 105 g R134a.
The distributions of air temperature inside the freezer and cabin compartment during 24 h
with R436a (50 g charge of refrigerant) and R134a (with 105 g charge of refrigerant) are
shown in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively. The ambient temperature for this process was 32°C. The
graphs shows a zigzag pattern before starting the defrost period. 2 defrosts happened for both
tests.

°
Fig. 1. Pull-down time vs. Freezer air temperature at 32 C ambient temperature

Fig. 2. Pull-down time vs. Cabin air temperature at 32 °C ambient temperature

13th Iranian National Chemical Engineering Congress
& 1st International Regional Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Kermanshah, Iran, 25-28 October, 2010

Fig. 3. Temperature profiles during 24 h with R436a refrigerant at 32°C ambient temperature

Fig. 4. Temperature profiles during 24 with R134a refrigerant at 32°C ambient temperature

Conclusion
R436a as a zero ODP and with very lower GWP than R134a was injected to the compressor
of a domestic refrigerator that was essentially designed for R134a, without any mechanical
change in the refrigerator. The energy consumption, COP, discharge temperature, and other
important parameters were measured for both refrigerants. According to our results R436a
can be regarded as a convenient choice for substitution of R134a. Although the energy
consumptions are 10 to 34% higher than those of R134a at the same temperature, but R436a
show a better performance for on-time ratios. However more experiments are required to
improve the performance of R436a and the optimum conditions should be determined for this
refrigerant. According to our experiments the most effective parameters are the amount of
injected refrigerant and the length of the capillary tube.

Acknowledgements
The present study was supported financially by the Entekhab industrial group. Their guidance
and assistance are gratefully acknowledged.
Feasibility of using hydrocarbon mixture (R436a)……

References:
[1] Johnson, E. (1998) .Global warming from HFC, Environ. Impact Assessment Rev. 18,
485–492.
[2] Radermacher, R., Kim, K. (1996). Domestic refrigerators: recent developments, Int. J.
Refrig. 19, 61–69.
[3] Sattar, M.A.,& Saidur, R.,& Masjuki, H.H. (2007). Pure butane as refrigerant in domestic
refrigerator-freezer. Paper presented at GMSARN International Conference on Sustainable
Development: Challenges and Opportunities for GMS.
[4] Mani, K. & Selladurai, V. (2008). Experimental analysis of a new refrigerant mixture as
drop-in replacement for CFC12 and HFC-134a. International Journal of Thermal Sciences
47 . 1490–1495
[5] Ching-Song J.,& Chen-Ching T.,& Wei-Ru W.(2009). Efficiency analysis of home
refrigerators by replacing hydrocarbon refrigerants. Measurement 42. 697–701
[6] Mohanraj, M.,& Jayaraj, S., Muraleedharan, C., Chandrasekar, P. (2009). Experimental
investigation of R290/R600a mixture as an alternative to R134a in a domestic refrigerator.
International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 1036-1042.
[7] Mohanraj, M. & Jayaraj, S. & Muraleedharan, C.(2008). Comparative assessment of
environment-friendly alternatives to R134a in domestic refrigerators. Energy Efficiency
1,189–198
[8] Fatouh, M.,& El Kafafy, M,(2006). Assessment of propane/commercial butane mixtures
as possible alternatives to R134a in domestic refrigerators. Energy Conversion and
Management 47,2644–2658
[9] Fatouh, M.,& El Kafafy, M,(2006). Experimental evaluation of a domestic refrigerator
working with LPG. Applied Thermal Engineering 26, 1593-1603.
[10] Wongwises, S. & Chimres, N. (2005). Experimental study of hydrocarbon mixtures to
replace HFC-134a in a domestic refrigerator. Energy Conversion and Management , 85–100
[11] Halimic, E.,& Ross, D.,& Agnew, B.,& Anderson A.,& Potts, I.(2003). A comparison of
the operating performance of alternative refrigerants. Applied Thermal Engineering
23,1441–1451
[12] Dongsoo, J.,& Chong-Bo, K.,& Kilhong, S.,& Byoungjin, P.(2000). Testing of
propane/isobutane mixture in domestic refrigerators. International Journal of Refrigeration
23, 517-527
 ‫‪13th Iranian National Chemical Engineering Congress‬‬
‫‪& 1st International Regional Chemical and Petroleum Engineering‬‬
‫‪Kermanshah, Iran, 25-28 October, 2010‬‬

‫امکان سىجی استفادٌ از مخلًط َيذريکربه (‪ )R436a‬بٍ عىًان مبرد در‬

‫يخچال َای خاوگی‬

‫مُذی راستی ‪ ،‬محمذ صادق حاتمی پًر ‪ ،‬سيذ فًاد آقاميری ‪ ،‬محمذ تًکلی‬
‫داًشکذُ هٌْذسی شيوی‪ ،‬داًشگاُ اصفْاى‬
‫‪mehdi.rasti@eng.ui.ac.ir‬‬

‫چکيذٌ‬
‫در اغلب يخچال ّا ٍ فريسرّا ‪ R134a‬بِ عٌَاى هبرد هَرد استفادُ لرار هی گيرد‪ .‬اها بذليل پتاًسيل گرهايش باالی‬
‫آى‪ ،‬پرٍتکل کيَتَ خَاستار خرٍج ‪ ٍ R134a‬خايگسيي کردى آى با هبردّای خذيذ با پتاًسيل تخريب اٍزٍى ٍ‬
‫پتاًسيل گرهايش خْاًی پاييي شذُ است‪ّ .‬يذرٍکربي ّای خالص هثل پرٍپاى (‪ً ،)R290‬رهال بَتاى (‪ٍ )R600‬‬
‫ايسٍبَتاى (‪ ٍ )R600a‬هخلَط آى ّا دارای ‪ ODP‬صفر ٍ ‪ GWP‬حذٍد‪ 02‬هی باشٌذ‪ .‬ايي همالِ اهکاى سٌدی‬
‫استفادُ از هخلَط ّيذرٍکربي ّا بِ عٌَاى خايگسيٌی برای ‪ R134a‬در يک يخچال خاًگی را ارائِ هی ًوايذ‪.‬‬
‫يک يخچال با ًَع هبرد ‪ R134a‬با هبرد ‪ R436a‬خايگسيي ٍ در اتاق تست لرار دادُ شذ‪ .‬در ضوي دها در ًماط‬
‫هختلف يخچال‪ ،‬اًرشی هصرف شذُ‪ ،‬تَاى ٍ فشار ٍرٍد ٍ خرٍج کوپرسَر ثبت شذًذ‪ .‬آزهايش ّا برای دهاّای‬
‫هختلف هحيط ٍ در رطَبت ًسبی ثابت تکرار شذًذ‪.‬آزهايش ّای هشابِ برای هبرد ‪ R134a‬اًدام شذ ٍ ًتايح ّر‬
‫دٍ هبرد با ّن همايسِ شذًذ‪ّ .‬وچٌيي در ايي کار اثر همذار هبرد ‪ R436a‬تسريك شذُ ًيس بررسی شذ‪ً .‬تايح ًشاى‬
‫دادًذ در صَرتيکِ شرايط بْيٌِ تعييي گردد‪ R436a ،‬هی تَاًذ بِ عٌَاى خايگسيٌی هٌاسب برای ‪ R134a‬هَرد‬
‫تَخِ لرار گيرد‪.‬‬

‫ياژٌَای کليذی‪ ،R134a ،R436a :‬هخلَط ّيذرٍکربي‪GWP ،ODP ،‬‬

‫‪5‬‬
‫‪- Ozone Depletion Potential‬‬
‫‪6‬‬
‫‪- Global Warming Potential‬‬

‫‪View publication stats‬‬