Energy Costs Lead to New Equipment Designs

U.S. engineers say rising energy costs and environmental concerns are boosting interest in more efficient designs for air conditioning and refrigeration.

Some of those new concepts are to be presented July 14-17 at Purdue University during the 12th International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference and the 19th International Compressor Engineering Conference.

The conferences, held every two years, are expected to draw hundreds of researchers from approximately 30 nations. Purdue Professor Eckhard Groll, chairman of the conferences, said participants have submitted about 10 percent more technical abstracts this year, largely because of special sessions focusing on energy-conserving technologies.

The engineers’ presentations will include findings on technologies such as solar-assisted designs, more efficient heat pumps for space heating in buildings, domestic water heating and designs that enhance the conventional vapor compression cycle in refrigeration.

More information is available at http://engineering.purdue.edu/Herrick/Events.