Experimental Analysis of a Domestic Refrigerator Model Working with LPG

Abstract

This work investigates the result of an experimental study carried out to determine the performance of a domestic refrigerator when a propane/butane mixture is used as a possible replacement to the traditional refrigerant CFC 12. The used propane/butane mixture is liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) which is locally available and comprises 24.4% propane, 56.4% butane and 17.2% isobutene which varies from company to company. The LPG is cheap and possesses an environment friendly nature with no ozone depletion potential (ODP). It is used in cooking purposes. The refrigerator used in the present study is of medium size with a gross capacity of 125 liters and is designed to work on LPG. The performance parameters investigated are the refrigeration effect in certain time. The refrigerator worked efficiently when LPG was used as refrigerant instead of CFC 12. The evaporator temperature reached -3ºC with an ambient temperature of 8ºC. The results of the present work indicate the successful use of this propane/butane mixture as an alternative refrigerant to CFC 12 in domestic refrigerators. This LPG refrigerator model gives the refrigeration effect at the cost of nothing, means it produces the refrigeration effect without using electricity at all. This LPG refrigerator model helps the word in energy saving.