Natural refrigerants are becoming increasingly important in vehicle air conditioning. In particular, R290 (propane), with its very low Global Warming Potential (GWP) and high energy efficiency, offers a future-proof alternative to conventional refrigerants.
From R134a to R290
A manufacturer of rail vehicles planned to convert an existing air conditioning system from R134a to the natural refrigerant R290. The goal was to sustainably improve the system's environmental footprint without compromising on performance, installation space, or reliability.
Since R290 has different properties than conventional refrigerants, all requirements regarding safety, system architecture, and integration had to be considered as early as the development phase. In addition to the thermodynamic design, the focus was particularly on pipe routing, ventilation, and safe integration into the overall system.
