In 2016, Montreal Protocol Kigali Amendment stipulated that developed countries should reduce the consumption and production of HFCs from 2019 and that developing countries should start the reduction in 2029. New alternative refrigerants should have lower GWP to reduce negative effects on the environment. Propane (R290) is an efficient and clean energy fuel. It not only has a high calorific value, but also has the advantages of large reserves and light weight. However, it has high flammability, so it has not been applied in production extensively. Therefore, despite the possible applications for propane as a refrigerant, a limited quantity of heat transfer information can be found in the open literature. In this study, the boiling heat transfer of R290 in 1.5, 4.0 and 6.0 mm smooth tubes was experimentally studied in the existing literature, and draws some conclusions with the usage of comparative analysis method.