Project Road mapping Large Scale Non-Evaporative Cooling Technologies Program DUIRI - Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship Term Fall 2026 Status Accepted Research Area Membrane science, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, species transport, materials science Description Consumptive water use in evaporative cooling systems places substantial strain on water resources in arid and semi-arid environments. In these dry climates, the favorable conditions for evaporation make evaporative cooling systems highly energy efficient. As water resources become more overtaxed, environmental considerations and local legislation are forcing a transition to non-evaporative technologies. The project goal is to develop non-evaporative cooling architectures and demonstrate their ability to meet large scale cooling loads. These architectures are composed of a primary cooling technology—an air cooled chiller or a variable refrigerant flow system—coupled with secondary, efficiency boosting, technologies—ground source heat pumps and/or thermal energy storage. Evaporative and non-evaporative technologies will be compared primarily based on water consumption, energy efficiency, and cost. Secondary considerations will include sound, lifespan, maintenance, physical footprint and seasonal performance. To compare these complex systems, thermodynamic models, informed by component level heat and mass transfer analysis, will be developed for both evaporative and the proposed non-evaporative architectures. These models will be validated using case study data from a variety of large scale institutions (hospitals, hotels/resorts, and datacenters) across the country. The validated models will then be used to create a public facing decision support tool to inform real estate developers, site managers, and their investors on the energy and water use impact of the cooling technologies they select for their buildings. Supervisor David E M Warsinger Mentor Type of work required The student joining the project will be expected to attend regular weekly and sub-team meetings. Results contribution will involve system diagram creation, component and system modeling support, and case study validation. In addition to the required skills a strong background in the subjects of thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and some fluid dynamics is preferred. Students will be expected to provide weekly presentations on their progress as well as specific writing, diagraming, and modeling deliverables throughout the course of the semester. The primary work of the student will be creation of component models and validation of system models using case study data. Websites www.warsinger.com Qualifications Background in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat and mas trasnfer Programming experience in matlab and python Familiarity with HVAC systems and their components Credit Hours 3 Weekly Hours 12 (estimated)