Lead Performer: University of Maryland, College Park – College Park, MD
June 20, 2023
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Lead Performer: University of Maryland, College Park – College Park, MD
Partner: Emerson Climate Technologies
DOE Total Funding: $1,200,000
Cost Share: $300,000
Project Term: October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2024
Funding Type: Funding Opportunity
Project Objective
Energy consumption in the United States is expected to increase by up to 15% from 2022 to 2050, with residential households accounting for 5.1 Quads in 2022 and potentially reaching between 5.9 Quads and 6.3 Quads by 2050. Additionally, the European Parliament has adopted a revised FGas regulation, which includes a ban on HFCs and HFOs in multiple applications and aims to phase out HFCs entirely by 2050. Notably, compressors play a pivotal role in HVAC systems and are a significant contributor to energy consumption, highlighting the importance of studying and researching compressor efficiency for carbon reduction initiatives.
This project aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Develop a novel isothermal compressor that reduces energy consumption by an average of 30% in refrigeration compared to isentropic compression.
- Develop a transient isothermal compressor model that is capable of simulating CO2 compression and heat rejection within the gas cooler.
- Validate system model based on experimental data and then apply it into the field test.
Project Impact
The objectives of this initiative include realizing near-isothermal compression in air conditioning and refrigeration applications by integrating the compressor chamber and gas cooler. This approach aims to achieve a 30% reduction in compression work compared to isentropic compression methods.
In 2022, the combined energy consumption for the residential and commercial sectors reached 33 Quads. Space cooling and refrigeration accounted for 20% of this total, equivalent to 6.6 Quads. If this technology is deployed in both sectors, achieving a 30% reduction in energy consumption, it could result in yearly energy savings of 2.0 Quads.
Contacts
DOE Technology Manager: Payam Delgoshaei
Lead Performer: Yunho Hwang