New NSF Research Center Taps Into CEEE’s Expertise on Eco-Friendly HVAC&R

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded six engineering schools, including the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering, $26 million to establish a new Gen-4 Engineering Research Center (ERC) focused on reining in the environmental costs of cooling and refrigeration technologies. The new Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) will tap into CEEE’s expertise in eco-friendly heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems.

“Collaboration with the colleagues in the new NSF ERC complements the HVAC&R systems and component innovation pursued by CEEE at the University of Maryland for over three decades,” says CEEE Director Reinhard Radermacher. CEEE is supported by industry and government and works to devise and implement novel approaches to air-conditioning, refrigeration and heat pumping, as well as integrated cooling, heating and power systems.

CEEE faculty and students will leverage their expertise in advanced system design to fulfill the EARTH mission of innovating future system technologies to utilize highly efficient and safe refrigerants with the lowest possible and safe environmental impact. “In the process, CEEE will cultivate the next gen of HVAC&R engineers, contributing to supporting the education and training of a diverse workforce,” Radermacher says.

Radermacher and CEEE Co-Director Yunho Hwang will lead several projects as part of the EARTH’s research thrusts. Among other endeavors, they will spearhead, together with Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering Ichiro Takeuchi, the design and implementation of elastocaloric regenerators, working to enhance their cooling capabilities. Solid-state elastocaloric cooling would have zero direct global warming potential, making it a promising alternative to conventional vapor compression systems that currently rely on hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, which are potent greenhouse gases.

EARTH is a partnership between six universities, led by the University of Kansas and Mark Shiflett of its Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering. Leadership at the University of Maryland also includes:

Associate Professor and Clark Faculty Fellow Damena Agonafer from the Department of Mechanical Engineering will serve as a site lead.
Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering Ichiro Takeuchi serves as a research lead, focusing on novel and safe refrigerants.
Visiting Professor Dongxia Liu, in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, will serve as a research co-lead, focusing on energy efficient systems.
Brent Goldfarb, a professor at UMD’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, is a co-lead, focusing on reclamation and repurposing.

Published September 9, 2024