Hydrocarbons as refrigerants — an overview

Possibilities and problems of using hydrocarbons as working fluids in refrigerating equipment are discussed. An overview of safety standards is given. Different hydrocarbon alternatives are listed and characteristics in terms of thermodynamic cycles as well as heat transfer are shown. The general conclusion is that hydrocarbons offer interesting refrigerant alternatives for energy efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerating equipment and heat pumps. However, safety precautions due to flammability must be seriously taken into account. For some applications this can be done without adding noticeably to the total installation cost, but not in the general case.