Selection of Heat Pump Refrigerant: Advantages and Risk Management of R290

With the development of society, countries around the world attach increasing importance to environmental protection. Especially the two major global environmental challenges of global warming and damage to the ozone layer.

At present, the refrigerants commonly used in the refrigeration industry contain HCFCs, such as R22 and R410A, and there are more or less harmful substances to global warming and ozone damage. The ozone depletion potential ODP and global warming coefficient GWP have not met current environmental requirements.

Advantages of R290

R290, also known as propane, is a natural hydrocarbon refrigerant that can be directly obtained from liquefied gas. Compared with synthetic refrigerants such as Freon, R290 does not contain chlorine atoms in its molecules, resulting in a zero ODP value and no destructive effect on the ozone layer.

In addition, compared to HFC substances that also have no destructive effects on the ozone layer, the GWP value of R290 is close to 0, which has no impact on the greenhouse effect.

In Germany, R290 has been used in household water heaters and air conditioning systems.

R290 is very similar to refrigerants containing HCFCs in terms of basic physical properties such as standard boiling point, freezing point, critical point, etc., and has the basic conditions to replace refrigerants containing HCFCs.

When in a saturated liquid state, the density of R290 is smaller than that of a refrigerant containing HCFCs, so the filling amount of R290 is smaller at the same volume. Experiments have shown that the filling amount of R290 at the same system volume is about 43% of that of a refrigerant containing HCFCs (R22).

In addition, due to the fact that the latent heat of vaporization of R290 is about twice that of R22, the refrigerant circulation of the refrigeration system using R290 is smaller. R290 also has good material compatibility with copper, steel, cast iron, lubricants, etc.

R290 (propane), also known as cold coal, is a new type of environmentally friendly refrigerant that will mainly be used in central air conditioning, low ambient air to water heat pump heating air conditioning, household air conditioning, and other small refrigeration equipment in the future. Its application prospects are broad, but there are also many challenges that need to be overcome.

R290 Risk Control

The disadvantage of R290 (propane) being flammable and explosive is currently the biggest obstacle to its large-scale promotion.

R290 can form an explosive mixture when mixed with air, and there is a risk of combustion and explosion when encountering heat sources and open flames.

The common methods to improve the safety of R290 include reducing filling volume, isolating ignition sources, preventing refrigerant leakage, and improving the safety prevention and control capabilities after leakage.

Reducing leakage and improving leak detection and response capabilities is an important measure to improve the security of R290.

It is understood that most manufacturers currently have high requirements for air conditioning sealing testing standards, and the annual leakage of normal air conditioning can be controlled below 5g without any danger.

The current refrigerant leakage is mostly concentrated in the installation, use, and maintenance processes of air conditioning, and there are many uncontrollable factors such as environment and usage methods in these processes. Therefore, safety control measures in these processes still need further research and improvement.

For more details about the R290 air to water low temperature heat pump product, you are welcome to inquire.

About LAILEY&COATES

LAILEY&COATES is British own OEM heat pump manufacturer based in China. We have strict quality control system in production facilities, Offering OEM production with competitive factory price. Our heat pump products range covering, R32 EVI air source heat pump with monoblock type, monoblock R32 hvac inverter heat pump for home heating, air source heat pump underfloor heating and hot water, cold climate heatpump, swimming pool heat pump, heat pump water heater etc, applications for inverter heat pump for home heating and cooling,  swimming pool heating and cooling, Hot Spring, Hot tob, Koi pond, pond heating, Aquaculture industry, Please visit our website to know more detail: https://www.laileyheatpump.com/Air-Source-Heat-Pump-pl3623279.html, also you can contact us directly: contact@laileyandcoates.com.cn,  you will get the professional answer.