The magic of hydrocarbon refrigerant as one of the alternative choices

1.Intruduction.

The existence of refrigerant materials has been present before the introduction of artificial refrigerant materials which have now been proven to cause environmental pollution that is clearly detrimental to life. The global domino effect that has been presented with the use of artificial refrigerant materials in the cooling system and heating system begins with the following events: thinning the ozone layer, increasing the energy of radiation from ultraviolet B rays, causing global warming with the continued increase in the earth's temperature globally, causing climate change with the complexity of the adverse impacts it causes, the emergence of chemical pollutant materials forever known as TFA and PFAS which are also harmful to life. What other adverse impacts will appear in the future related to the use of this artificial refrigerant material on the environment ??? we are still waiting. To restore the pollution conditions, it will take a long time, more than 100 years later, with the support of smart policies produced by the stakeholders.

2. The beginning of the formation of the first artificial refrigerant known as FREON gas.

Historically, artificial refrigerants that have been introduced and known to the public include the CFC, HCFC, HFC, and finally HFO groups. With its first product having a brand with the trade name "FREON" produced by the Dopon company. The term name of the word Freon can be seen at this link.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/freon

The presence of artificial refrigerants with the trade name "Freon" in a short time has shifted the use of natural refrigerants which at that time had been widely used as refrigerants in cooling systems that work based on the vapor compression cycle, as the cooling system currently uses artificial refrigerants and works based on a system with a vapor compression cycle too. However, the use of artificial refrigerants which have been used for almost 1 century in cooling systems has had a negative impact on the environment as has been conveyed. The manufacture of refrigerant materials that we know starting from CFC, HCFC, HFC, and HFO, the origin of the material to form it comes from hydrocarbon gas. One of them is from hydrocarbon gas Methane (CH4), by adding the element F and removing some of the element H in the hydrocarbon gas Methane, several artificial refrigerant materials are formed, one of which is HFC R32 which is currently used in the newly produced AC engine system, which previously the AC unit used HCFC R22 refrigerant. Data related to how hydrocarbon refrigerants have a history of the role of hydrocarbon gases starting from C1, C2, C3 (methane, ethane, propane), in its documents owned by ASHRAE can be seen with this link: https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/standards-and-guidelines/ashrae-refrigerant-designations

3. The existence of natural hydrocarbon refrigerants in the environment.

This type of natural refrigerant is often said to be an environmentally friendly refrigerant, this is quite reasonable because it has a predicate of properties that are very supportive of these conditions, including:

a. Does not deplete the ozone layer, because its chemical structure does not contain the element Cl (Chloro).

b. Does not cause an increase in radiation energy caused by ultraviolet radiation B.

c. Does not cause an increase in the earth's temperature globally or what is known as 'Global Warming' because it has a very small carbon footprint from CO2 gas.

d. Does not cause extreme climate change.

e. Does not produce dangerous chemical pollutants forever such as the emergence of TFA, PFAS.

The five elements that support the existence of this hydrocarbon type of refrigerant towards environmental sustainability, of course, can be used as one of the global alternatives in overcoming and answering the challenges of increasingly complex environmental problems due to the presence of artificial refrigerant materials that are still widely used in cooling systems and heating systems that work based on the vapor compression cycle. Related to one of the supports of hydrocarbon refrigerants in reducing a number of greenhouse gas emission materials can be seen at this link: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/penggunaan-refigeran-alamiah-jenis-hidrogen-dan-karbon-agus-maulana-fxknc?trackingId=bPjYP%2BnZTSiVcpSlRrWkjA%3D%3D&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3profile_view_base%3BSNR1YK%2FfQk%2B%2FOWJdWDpFow%3D%3D

4. The existence of refrigerant usage on the performance of the cooling system and heating system and its relation to economy.

From several academic and practical studies on the use of hydrocarbon refrigerant materials through the conversion process, it has shown results that are very supportive of increasing the performance of the cooling system significantly and measurably, when compared to the performance of the cooling system before the refrigerant conversion was carried out. The support includes technical factors that are generally owned by hydrocarbon refrigerants as follows:

a. Can be mixed with synthetic and mineral oil types.

b. Has a latent heat content 2.3 times greater than the artificial refrigerant it replaces.

c. Has a specific gravity of only 1/3 of the specific gravity of the equivalent artificial refrigerant that can be replaced.

d. Related to the information in section c, this will affect the amount of hydrocarbon refrigerant weight used to be only 1/3 of the amount of equivalent artificial refrigerant weight that can be replaced.

e. The provision of costs required for the use of refrigerant materials in terms of maintenance and service will decrease

f. Consumption of electrical energy to run the cooling machine unit decreases, in the range of 20% - 30%, depending on the equivalent artificial refrigerant material that can be replaced with the same cooling capacity.

g. In relation to the information in section f, there will be a decrease in the cost of electricity purchased to run the cooling machine system unit and the heating machine system unit.

h. When servicing the cooling machine or heating machine, if the hydrocarbon refrigerant disposal process is carried out according to the procedure, it does not have a significant impact on the environment.

To make reference material related to this information, you can see the link: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/advantages-hydrocarbon-refrigerants-hc-option-process-agus-maulana?trackingId=DgQJzyCLTwKymAH8OCnFVg%3D%3D&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_recent_activity_content_view%3BErFwo%2B6RSiqNb5oedJ50Rw%3D%3D

5. Conclusion.

Hydrocarbon refrigerant materials that have an environmentally friendly predicate can be used as an alternative choice of refrigerant materials that can replace artificial refrigerant materials that are clearly and significantly proven and measurable have polluted the environment when these artificial refrigerants are released into the open air, entering the atmosphere.

Agus Maulana.