Hydrocarbon Refrigerant Composition With Higher Ignition Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current hydrocarbon refrigerants, such as CFCs and HFCs, pose environmental hazards due to ozone depletion and global warming, and existing hydrocarbon compositions like propane-butane mixtures have safety issues and decompose upon leakage, requiring full replacement and posing safety hazards.

Innovation Solution

A hydrocarbon composition comprising approximately 5.0% ethane, 60.0% propane, and 30.0% butane by volume, which can be used as a refrigerant and detergent, offering a high ignition temperature and minimal environmental impact, replacing conventional refrigerants like R-134a and R-22 with reduced energy requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If CFCs are used as refrigerants, then safety and stability are improved, but environmental harm worsens due to ozone depletion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety and stabilityVSAvoidozone depletion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using hydrocarbons (propane, butane, isobutene, ethane) instead of CFCs, fundamentally altering the refrigerant's chemical structure to eliminate chlorine atoms that cause ozone depletion while maintaining refrigeration performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite hydrocarbon mixture containing multiple components (propane 40-60%, butane 20-30%, isobutene 5-15%, ethane 0-5%) that work together to provide both safety/stability and environmental friendliness, with each component contributing specific properties to the overall system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-generated harmful factors

If conventional hydrocarbon mixtures are used, then environmental impact is improved, but stability worsens due to decomposition upon leakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental impactVSAvoidcomposition stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent develops a stable composite hydrocarbon mixture where propane (40-60%), butane (20-30%), isobutene (5-15%), and ethane (0-5%) are combined in specific proportions that prevent decomposition and maintain composition stability, eliminating the instability problem of conventional hydrocarbon refrigerants

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of manufacture

If simple hydrocarbon mixtures are used, then manufacturing ease is improved, but safety worsens due to low ignition temperature

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidignition safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite hydrocarbon mixture where the specific combination of propane, butane, isobutene, and ethane in controlled proportions raises the ignition temperature to above 400°C, significantly improving safety while maintaining ease of manufacture through straightforward mixing processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS8097182B2Hydrocarbon refrigerant and detergent composition
Publication Date: 2012.01.17 A S TRUST & HLDG

AI summary

The hydrocarbon refrigerant and detergent composition is a hydrocarbon-based composition, which may be used as a refrigerant for air conditioners, refrigerators or the like, and which may also be used as a detergent for cleaning precision components, such as semiconductor chips, motherboards or the like. The hydrocarbon composition includes about 5.0% ethane, about 60.0% propane, about 5.0% isobutene and about 30.0% butane by volume.