Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is helping to design a more practicable and energy efficient heat exchange unit in air-conditioning systems for buildings. Ed Vineyard of the laboratory's Engineering Science and Technology Division heads a team designing a natural gas-powered 10-ton micro channel heat exchange unit that can correct uneven refrigerant flow ?or maldistribution ? through an air-conditioning system powered by generators and microturbines. Maldistribution reduces heat exchanger capacity that reduces an air-conditioning system's energy efficiency and contributes to higher costs for a unit. Working with United Technologies Research Center, Modine Manufacturing, Southwest Gas Corp., and DuPont, researchers are evaluating maldistribution with the use of a thermal imaging camera in ORNL's Heat Transfer Test Laboratory to determine steps necessary to correct the unevenness. The goal is to produce a heat exchange unit that will have a reduced profile on top of a building and operate more efficiently than conventional systems. DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability funded the work.
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