Design and Optimization for New Refrigerant Blends

Lead Performer: Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Oak Ridge, TN
DOE Total Funding: $330,000
FY18 DOE Funding: $100,000
Project Term: October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2020
Funding Type: Direct Funded

Project Objective

ORNL will extend the ORNL Heat Pump Design Model (HPDM) to perform system and component-level evaluations and optimizations of newly identified fluids for specific applications. Additionally, this project will establish a public-domain, online knowledge base for equipment design and optimization, and represent heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of alternative refrigerants and refrigerant blends. The HPDM is a well-regarded, public-domain, free-to-use equipment design and modeling tool.

Project Impact

Heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R), water heating and appliance technologies represent more than half of the total energy used in U.S. residential and commercial buildings.¹

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Antonio Bouza
Lead Performer: Ayyoub Momen, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Related Publications

Latest Version of HPDM: https://hpdmflex.ornl.gov/hpdm/wizard/welcome.php
Fingertip Fluid Properties (fProps): a free, online refrigerant property calculation tool

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¹ U.S. Energy Information Administration. Annual Energy Outlook 2014 with Projections to 2040. DOE/EIA-0383(2014). Washington, DC: Energy Information Administration, 2014.