Air conditioning and refrigeration conference highlights

• Opening remarks by Patricia Davies, Purdue professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Herrick labs, at 10 a.m. on Monday (July 17), in Stewart Center, Loeb Theater.

• Research by engineers from United Technologies Research Center related to using carbon dioxide in heat pumps to heat swimming pools and buildings, during a session from 9:20-11:45 a.m. on Tuesday (July 18) in Stewart Center, Room 302.

• Findings regarding bowtie-compressor research, during a session from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday (July 19), in Stewart Center, Room 302. The paper was written by Groll and former doctoral student Jay Kim, who now works for Modine Manufacturing in Racine, Wis.

• A paper on thermo-acoustic cooling, during a session from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday in Stewart Center, Room 302. The paper details a simulation study by Braun and Mongeau to learn which applications make the most sense for thermal acoustics. The researchers determined that the most practical use for the technology is household refrigerators

• A paper detailing research by Groll, Braun, King and Hugenroth dealing with the Ericsson-cycle refrigeration research, during a session from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday in Stewart Center, Room 302.

• One of two papers by Purdue researchers dealing with improving the accuracy of computational models needed to simulate the performance of so-called "packaged air conditioning equipment," used to cool commercial and residential buildings, during a session from 9:20-11:45 a.m. on Wednesday in Stewart Center, Room 302. Purdue researchers led by Braun and doctoral student Bo Shen have been developing more accurate models, which are widely used by industry to design air conditioning systems.

• Findings by researchers at the University of Maryland, during a session from 9:20-11:45 a.m. on Wednesday in Stewart Center, Room 302, detailing a method for reducing the amount of electricity consumed by air conditioning units by installing devices called "thermoelectric elements" on the heat exchangers.

• Findings by Purdue researchers regarding the use of a portable refrigeration system to cool computers, during a session from 9:20-11:45 a.m. on Wednesday in Stewart Center, Room 302. The system is a miniature version of a conventional refrigeration system, scaled down to cool future computers. As electronic components in microchips become smaller and chips contain more densely packed circuitry, computers will generate increased heat, requiring new types of cooling systems. The paper was written by graduate student Suwat Trutassanawin; Lorenzo Cremaschi, a post-doctoral research associate; Groll; and Suresh Garimella, a professor of mechanical engineering.

• Findings by researchers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about using carbon nanoparticles to enhance the conduction of heat when mixed with fluids, during a session from 3:20-5:20 p.m. on Wednesday in Stewart Center, Room 302. The researchers will present a paper on "nanofluidic thermal conductivity."

• Research results from the Georgia Institute of Technology during a session from 9:20- 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday in Stewart Center, Room 302, about using miniature refrigeration technology to cool computers and electronic equipment.

• Information regarding research at Ingersoll-Rand Climate Control about using carbon dioxide as a "secondary fluid" in refrigeration systems for applications such as supermarket refrigerators, during a session from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday (July 20) in Stewart Center, Room 302. Systems in supermarkets and other commercial applications tend to leak because refrigerated cases are often being rearranged. The non-toxic carbon dioxide could be used to cool refrigeration cases in stores, while more-toxic but more-efficient refrigerants, such as ammonia, could be used in systems located away from customers, such as rooftop air conditioning systems needed to cool the building.

Writer: Emil Venere, (765) 494-4709, venere@purdue.edu

Sources: James Braun, (765) 494-9157, jbraun@ecn.purdue.edu

Eckhard Groll, (765) 496-2201, groll@ecn.purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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