HVAC&R Equipment Performance Group

The HVAC&R Equipment Performance Group expands the scientific knowledge of air-conditioning, heat pumping, and refrigeration technology. The Group’s focus is to improve the energy efficiency of HVAC&R equipment, which is the predominant end-user of energy in buildings. The research activities include innovative and fundamental heat transfer measurements of refrigerants; experimental and analytical studies of systems and components; development of advanced modeling and optimization tools; research of novel applicable technologies; and formulation of test and rating methods for refrigerators and “mixed” air conditioners and heat pumps. The current projects include: 

• System studies through laboratory measurements and computer simulations
• Development of Computational Intelligence-based tools for optimization of component and system designs
• Development of fully automated fault detection and diagnostic methods
• Fundamental two-phase heat transfer measurements for single-component refrigerants, refrigerant mixtures, and refrigerant/nanolubricant mixtures
• Development of testing and rating procedures for refrigerators, air conditioners, and heat pumps for the U.S. Department of Energy Appliance Program

The best known contributions of the Group are those related to the research of alternative ozone-safe refrigerants and refrigerant mixtures, the development of advanced simulation tools, and the formulation of the SEER and HSPF performance descriptors for the test procedures of residential air conditioners and heat pumps.