CFD analysis of propane dispersion in an indoor environment

In the last decades, HC refrigerants attracted a new interest as environmental friendly alternatives to HFC refrigerants with large Global Warming Potential (GWP). For this reason, it is fundamental collecting new information on the diffusion of propane if dispersed into an indoor environment due to a leakage or a failure of a refrigeration unit. This paper presents a 3D numerical model based on the commercial code Ansys Fluent 18.2, validated against experimental results, that simulates a propane leaking in a closed environment. Several simulations were designed and performed to reproduce refrigerant leakage in different scenarios. The propane amount and flow rate, the presence of obstacles in the room (like pieces of furniture, side walls, etc.), and the leakage position were analyzed. Results were reported in terms of propane concentration to highlight the areas that reached the flammable concentration and thus the most critical scenarios to take into account in the designing phase.