EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON A DOMESTIC REFRIGERATOR USING LPG AS A REFRIGARANT

This project is devoted to feasibility study of substitution of LPG (60% Propane and 40 % commercial Butane) as refrigerant instead of R134a in a domestic refrigerator. An experimental performance study on a VCR system with LPG as refrigerant was conducted and compared with R134a.The VCR system was initially designed to operate with R134a. Experimental results showed that the LPG refrigerant with charge of 40g worked well at loaded condition as it took 30 min. to bring down the temperature of 500g of water from 30 degree Celsius to 6.8 degree Celsius. LPG charge of 60g worked well under unloaded condition. It took 5 minutes to bring down evaporator temperature from 30 degree Celsius to 0 degree Celsius. Power consumed by compressor while working with LPG as refrigerant is considerably low.