Our upcoming project
Monolithic Microscale Heat Pumps
Proving that good things come in small packages,
researchers led by SrinivasGarimella have developed a novel textbook-sized
cooling system that operates on waste heat rather than electricity.
The underlying technology has been used in very large-scale installations, such as hospitals and university campuses, explained Garimella, a professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Mechanical Engineering. Yet his team takes the science to a new level by working at the micro scale and creating a self-contained unit.
How it works: Extremely small passages are etched into thin sheets of metal with different areas representing different components. Working fluids flow in the same order as they would in a larger system, albeit in one space. The minimization of plumbing inlets and outlets translates into greater compactness — and lower price tags.
The underlying technology has been used in very large-scale installations, such as hospitals and university campuses, explained Garimella, a professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Mechanical Engineering. Yet his team takes the science to a new level by working at the micro scale and creating a self-contained unit.
How it works: Extremely small passages are etched into thin sheets of metal with different areas representing different components. Working fluids flow in the same order as they would in a larger system, albeit in one space. The minimization of plumbing inlets and outlets translates into greater compactness — and lower price tags.
Other advantages:
·
No synthetic
refrigerants are used, and less fluid is required, which further lowers costs
and increases safety.
·
No compressor is
needed and there are few moving parts, decreasing noise and increasing
reliability.
·
Modular design allows
units to be configured to generate anywhere from a few watts to tens of
kilowatts of cooling or heating.
Since unveiling a proof-of-concept unit in 2009, the
researchers have developed heat pumps with cooling capacities of one and two
refrigerant tons. (Capacity of current residential units ranges from one to
four refrigerant tons.) Efficiency has been substantially improved, and
fabrication techniques have also been improved to enable mass production.
“Although initial cost to consumers might be higher than
traditional heat pumps, lifecycle costs should be comparable because of lower
operating costs,” Garimella said, noting that field tests are slated for late
this year, and the technology might be ready for commercialization by 2017.
The researchers have also adapted the technology to provide cooling using waste heat from diesel-driven generators at military bases, where ambient temperatures are extremely high. “Not only is diesel fuel very expensive to transport, there are also risks to humans in delivering the fuel,” Garimella said. “Using the energy in the diesel fuel to the fullest extent by providing power as well as cooling through these units, without consuming additional prime energy, will lower overall costs and
The researchers have also adapted the technology to provide cooling using waste heat from diesel-driven generators at military bases, where ambient temperatures are extremely high. “Not only is diesel fuel very expensive to transport, there are also risks to humans in delivering the fuel,” Garimella said. “Using the energy in the diesel fuel to the fullest extent by providing power as well as cooling through these units, without consuming additional prime energy, will lower overall costs and
No comments