 | Propane
Cooling/Refrigeration | Many
people think of propane as a source of heat for warming a building. But, propane
can and is used to provide cooling and refrigeration. There are several types
of propane cooling systems: Absorption
– uses a cycle of condensation and evaporation to produce a cooling effect.
The advantages of absorption systems are: - Produces
both chilled and hot water
- Ability
to recover waste heat
- Eliminates
electrical demand charges
- Requires
a smaller electical service
Engine
Driven Chillers – very similar in principal to electric motor driven
chillers. The advantages of engine driven chillers systems are:
- Uses conventional
vapor compression cycle
- Ability
to recover waste heat
- Eliminates
electrical demand charges
- Requires
a smaller electrical service
Hybrid
HVAC systems are available that utilize different energy sources to take advantage
of the best technology and of favorable energy pricing during 24-hour, 365-day-a-year
operations. Chiller plants with gas/electric combinations are the most common. Desiccant
Dehumidification Systems – used in many applications where moisture can
be a problem. Desiccants cool the air by reducing the humidity. In turn the cooling
system does not work as hard to cool the air. The advantages of a desiccant dehumidification
system are: - Controls
humidity in conditioned space and reduces latent load on the air conditioning
system
- Improves
comfort level in the conditioned space
- Reduces
electric demand charges
- Reduces
CFC’s found in conventional air conditioning systems
Usually
the initial cost of a propane cooling system is higher than that of a comparably-sized
electric system, a propane system’s payback can be attractive. This is due
to propane being lower priced in the summer resulting in the avoidance of high
electric demand charges. Commercial
and Industrial refrigeration has been supplied by propane engine driven equipment
for many years. This equipment offers economic benefits through its electric peak-shaving
capabilities. Dairies, breweries, wineries, meat processors, cold storage, and
ice producers are but a few of the applications using propane engine driven refrigeration.
A big plus for this type refrigeration is the ability to reclaim heat from the
engine. There are at least three manufacturers offering packaged refrigeration
systems. They are Hill PHOENIX, Industrial Heat Recovery Equipment and Tecogen. For
additional information on gas cooling and refrigeration you can visit this site:
http://www.gascooling.com | 
