SandenVendo has once again come through in the quest towards using more sustainable technology in the vending machine industry. With their newly patented refrigeration technology, the hydrocarbon R290 can now be safely applied to their vending machines and used as a natural refrigerant.
R290 is a kind of propane that has long been known to be a very efficient refrigerant. However, it is a highly flammable gas and as such, has rather restricted applications. It is also because of this that in many places, it is actually illegal to use R290 in air conditioning systems. On the other hand, R290 does have a very low GWP or Global Warming Potential. It also does not contribute to ozone depletion.
Introduction of the First R290 Vending Machine
In 2017, the EU F-Gas Regulation was released, prohibiting the use of any refrigerants that have a GWP of more than 2500. This posed a problem for many vending machine companies. Most machines used HFCs as refrigerants, and many of these exceeded the 2500 GWP limit.
SandenVendo was able to come up with a solution that allowed for the safe and efficient application of the low GWP R290 to their refrigerated vending machines. In other words, they found a way to power their existing vending machines with a natural and non-toxic substitute refrigerant in lieu of the fluorocarbons that used to be the norm but have been found to be extremely harmful to the ozone layer.
The company patented this technology and continued to improve on it over the next few years. By 2020, SandenVendo has managed to bring down the GWP of their R290 HC vending machines to less than 2500. At the beginning of 2022, their R290 range of vending machines all have a GWP of less than 150.
How Does the Solution Work?
The main danger in using the R290 hydrocarbon in vending machines is the risk of contamination with the food and beverages being dispensed. What the SandenVendo engineers did was to create a dual-circuit system where R290 gas can safely power the electronic components of the machine without permeating into the compartments for the food and other merchandise.
There have been several tweaks and adjustments from the initial release. Today, the SandenVendo HC R290 vending machines are the most eco-friendly solutions in the vending machine industry. In addition to being powered by natural refrigerants, it also has electronic fan motors and an inverter compressor to maximize energy efficiency.
Complete R290 Range
Just this year, SandenVendo has released its complete R290 range of vending machines. All their models now come with this innovative technology that has never before been seen in the vending market. This includes their popular G-Drink and G-Snack models, and even the B&C Hydrocarbon machines, which are now all powered with the all-natural R290 gas. Each of these machines now has an almost negligible GWP and absolutely no effect on ozone depletion.
With this patented design, SandenVendo has just laid down the groundwork for even more sustainable and eco-friendly solutions that will further improve the global vending industry.