Energy efficiency enhancement of a domestic refrigerator using R436A and R600a as alternative refrigerants to R134a

• For HFC type compressor by replacing R134a with R436A and R600a energy consumption reduced to 14% and 7%, respectively.
• For HC type compressor by replacing R134a with R436A and R600a energy consumption reduced to 14.6% and 18.7%, respectively.
• For HC type compressor, the optimum charge amount of R600a and R436A reduced to 52.3%.
• Refrigerator working with R436A and R600a had a TEWI of 16% and 21% lower than base refrigerator, respectively.

This paper is devoted to feasibility study of substitution of two hydrocarbon refrigerants instead of R134a in a domestic refrigerator. Experiments are designed on a refrigerator manufactured for 105 g R134a charge. The effect of parameters including refrigerant type, refrigerant charge and compressor type are investigated. This research is conducted using R436A (mixture of 46% iso-butane and 54% propane) and R600a (pure iso-butane) as hydrocarbon refrigerants, HFC type compressor (designed for R134a) and HC type compressor (designed for R600a). The results show that for HFC type compressor, the optimum refrigerant charges are 60 g and 55 g for R436A and R600a, respectively. Moreover, for this type of compressor, the energy consumption of R436A and R600a at the optimum charges is reduced about 14% and 7%, respectively in comparison to R134a. On the other hand, when using HC type compressor, the optimum refrigerant charges for R436A and R600a are both 50 g, and the energy consumption of R436A and R600a at the optimum charges are reduced about 14.6% and 18.7%, respectively. Furthermore, when the refrigerator is equipped with HC type compressor, working under optimum charges of R436A and R600a have a total equivalent warming impact about 16% and 21% lower than base refrigerator, respectively.Total exergy destruction of the domestic refrigerator with HFC type compressor for R134a, R600a and R436A are 0.0389, 0.0301, 0.0471, respectively and for R600a and R436A with HC type compressor are 0.0292, 0.0472, respectively.