A propane refrigerator works using a process called absorption refrigeration, which relies on heat from a propane flame to create a cooling effect without mechanical moving parts. Here's how it works in detail:
- Inside the sealed system of the fridge, there is a mixture of water, liquid ammonia, and hydrogen gas.
- A small propane flame heats this mixture in a component called the generator, causing the ammonia and water to vaporize (boil).
- The ammonia gas then rises to a condenser where it cools and condenses back into a liquid.
- This liquid ammonia flows into the evaporator chamber, where it mixes with hydrogen gas. Here, the ammonia evaporates again, absorbing heat from inside the refrigerator and thus cooling the interior.
- The ammonia gas and hydrogen then move to the absorber, where the ammonia is absorbed back into the water, releasing hydrogen gas.
- The hydrogen gas returns to the evaporator to continue the cycle, while the ammonia-water solution returns to the generator to be heated again.
- This continuous cycle of heating, evaporation, condensation, and absorption keeps the refrigerator cold.
Because this system has no moving parts like compressors, propane refrigerators are very reliable and silent. They are commonly used in RVs, off-grid homes, and places without electricity. Proper ventilation is important to safely burn propane and avoid fumes
. In summary, a propane refrigerator uses heat from burning propane to drive a chemical absorption cycle involving ammonia, water, and hydrogen gases, which produces cooling inside the fridge without electricity or mechanical compressors
