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UMD Team Advances Method to Boost Compressor Efficiency

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CEEE postdoctoral researcher Haopeng Liu with the center’s near-isothermal compressor prototype, which could offer more efficient compression and reduce power consumption.

A research team at the UMD Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE) is developing a new approach to improve compressor efficiency in cooling and refrigeration systems. In their latest work, the CEEE researchers created a dynamic model that identifies a design strategy to further improve performance. The findings were published in the journal Applied Thermal Engineering.

The compressor is the core component of vapor-compression air-conditioning and refrigeration systems and accounts for the largest share of energy use. “Traditional compressor technology has been investigated extensively; however, research gaps remain, particularly in improving energy efficiency,” says lead author Haopeng Liu, a CEEE postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “We are trying a very different approach to improve compressor efficiency.”

Unlike traditional vapor compression systems, in which the compressor and heat exchanger are two separate components, the proposed technology combines them into a single unit. In this design, a liquid piston compresses the working fluid while an integrated heat exchanger simultaneously removes heat. This strategy keeps the temperature of the working fluid nearly constant – a process known as near-isothermal compression. Because this type of compression requires less work than conventional isentropic compression, it can significantly improve efficiency. 

“This technology has the potential to offer more energy-efficient cooling and refrigeration,” says Liu, “with potential applications ranging from supermarket refrigeration to data center cooling.”

"This technology has the potential to offer more energy-efficient cooling and refrigeration, with potential applications ranging from supermarket refrigeration to data center cooling.”

Postdoctoral researcher Haopeng Liu

In this study, the CEEE researchers developed a transient model to represent the system and to explore strategies to enhance heat transfer during the compression cycle. Co-authors are former CEEE postdoctoral researcher Cheng-Yi Lee, Senior Faculty Specialist Jan Muehlbauer, Research Professor Yunho Hwang and CEEE Director and Research Professor Vikrant Aute.

The researchers compared two design approaches: a “continuous geometry design,” which directly modifies the compression chamber shape, and a “discrete geometry design,” which reconfigures the interconnection layout among modular chambers while maintaining the original chamber shape. Simulation results indicate that the discrete geometry design can improve energy efficiency relative to the current prototype, providing guidance for the development of the next-generation prototype.

Future research will investigate other liquid piston media with low solubility and low viscosity to further reduce pump energy consumption and improve overall system efficiency.

Download the paper: “Dynamic modeling of near isothermal compressor for transcritical carbon dioxide cycle to support efficiency improvement.”


Published June 1, 2026