2023 Jacob Rabinow Applied Research Award

The group is recognized for their in-depth, multidisciplinary research to identify low-global-warming-potential alternatives to the refrigerant HFC-134a, which is commonly used in air conditioning equipment by the Department of Defense. HFC-134a is a potent greenhouse gas being phased down under the 2020 American Innovation and Manufacturing Act. The replacements used in civilian applications are flammable, which is not acceptable for military applications. The group addressed this critical challenge using its unique expertise in thermophysical properties, flame characterization, and vapor-compression equipment to identify three top replacement candidates and provide a framework to confirm their application, performance, and safety.