Differences between ammonia and propane as refrigerants
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The food industry commonly uses ammonia as a refrigerant. In oil refineries, ammonia is used as a refrigerant in some applications (such as benzene dewaxing units), while propane is used as a refrigerant in other applications (such as reforming units). The molecular weight of ammonia is lower than that of propane; therefore, for the same level of cooling capacity, the molar flow rate of ammonia is 0.76 times that of propane. 2. The latent heat of ammonia is greater than that of propane; at -20 degrees Celsius, it is approximately 3.38 times that of propane (by mass). 3. Compression work: for the same cooling capacity, the effective power consumed by propane is 0.84 times that of ammonia. So what are the differences between ammonia and propane as refrigerants, and how should one choose between them? Thank you!
The vaporization temperatures vary; it depends on the required degree of cooling
Selection is based on cooling depth, safety, and energy consumption；
I recommend that you also consider propylene as a refrigerant; its investment costs and energy consumption in terms of refrigeration are both more advantageous compared to ammonia.
This is related to the scale of use; generally, smaller food factories with cold storage facilities opt for ammonia due to its cost-effectiveness. As chemical plants grow in size, the economic viability of using propane also becomes a factor to consider.