Solution Revealed: Energy-efficient air conditioning
Most of the Challenges posted by InnoCentive Seekers are of such a confidential nature that we are never permitted to reveal even the Seeker’s identity, much less the actual solution. However, we recently announced that the Boston Innovation Prize, which was seeking an energy-efficient air conditioning technology, had been awarded. We are very fortunate in this instance, that the Seeker, the Barr Foundation, and the Solvers, John Barrie and Dr. Norbert Müller, have been willing to talk about the winning solution. Below is an overview of the solution, provided by Solver John Barrie.
The Challenge:
Innocentive recently hosted the Boston Innovation Prize which was developed by The Barr Foundation, a private family foundation committed to enhancing the quality of life for citizens in the Boston area, and the Cambridge Energy Alliance (CES), an organization that seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of Cambridge, Mass., in the next five years.
The Boston Innovation Prize challenge was to “radically improve efficiencies in space cooling and dehumidification” and to “identify breakthrough technologies and/or designs which will provide cooling and dehumidification with dramatically higher energy efficiency than current room or window air conditioning units, while maintaining affordability.” No small task. Large companies have been working on this for decades. To put this challenge in perspective, air conditioning technology has already doubled in efficiency since 1970.
Our Solution:
Our winning submission is an air conditioner that uses water vapor as the refrigerant. When water vapor is used this way it is referred to as R-718. Water vapor can be up to 30% more efficient than traditional refrigerants, but engineering the compressor is difficult and expensive. In Europe where there are high energy costs, water vapor is used as a refrigerant in large projects. The economics of making a smaller scale R-718 compressor have, in the past, proven to be prohibitive. Critical components are commonly made out of titanium.
The key to our winning submission is an economical and very efficient compressor invented by Dr. Müller. He invented a small and lightweight turbo compressor with an integral motor woven out of high-strength fibers. “It gives wonderful control. It’s efficient and compact,” says Muller who points out that up to 30 percent of the U.S. electricity is used for traditional cooling and air conditioning. Another plus for the woven turbo impeller is that it is very quiet.
Benefits:
While winning the Boston Innovation Prize is wonderful, of equal importance is the added benefit of having such a high level review our technology. “We looked at number of impressive designs, but this one really stood out because of its potential to consume significantly less energy and reduce peak demand compared to standard air conditioners,” says Kendra Tupper, a member of the panel of judges and a senior consultant at the Rocky Mountain Institute. The Rocky Mountain Institute is an internationally recognized think tank that works on issues of energy, efficiency and sustainability. This recognition will help us with upcoming presentations to venture capital.
-John Barrie
To find out more about this project, and see drawings of the solution, check out John’s blog – www.sustainabledesignupdate.com.
Tags: Air conditioning, Barr Foundation, Bostonn Innovation Prize, Cambridge Energy Alliance
December 5th, 2008 at 12:09 am
John Barrie and Dr. Norbert Müller,
This is one of these areas that we all believe there’s very little to be improved, but are always delighted to be proved wrong. Congratulations for your brilliant solution.
December 5th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Wagner-
With the R718 air conditioner it took Dr. Muller’s vision of making a compressor wheel out of woven fibers, where the fibers align with the stresses. This idea actually shows promise in manufacturing a variety of turbo compressors. Muller also has a really cool low-tech supplemental technology for AC where he uses a “wave rotor”. Google it, people used wave rotors in place of turbo chargers on engines back in the 1950s.
Our solution ends up both more efficient and lower cost when in volume production. Very exciting times!
-jsbarrie
December 10th, 2008 at 2:50 am
hey,
this is a very nice technology.a compressor wheel out of woven fibers, where the fibers align with the stresses. This idea actually shows promise in manufacturing a variety of turbo compressors.
December 12th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Rock on-
Yes, the technology should work for compressors of many types. The only real trouble is when temperatures get too high. Carbon doesn’t like the high temperatures found in the hot section of turbine engines. However parts of the compressor could be made using this technology.
Thanks for the comment!
jsbarrie
December 15th, 2008 at 4:28 am
We are working for NYC Air conditioning, Duct Cleaning NYC, construction and specializes in the service and repair of your HVAC system
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
[...] has described their winning entry: Our winning submission is an air conditioner that uses water vapor as the refrigerant. When water [...]
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:12 pm
[...] has described their winning e…: Our winning [...]
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 am
[...] has described their winning entry: Our winning submission is an air conditioner that uses water vapor as the refrigerant. When water [...]
January 28th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
This sounds really exciting — I guess the next big question is, how soon are we likely to see something like this on the market?
January 29th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Mara-
I don’t have a concrete answer on when the R718, Radically Efficient airconditioner will make it to market. We still have testing of components and assembly of several prototypes to refine the design.
I will keep Innocentive posted on progress.
Stay Tuned.
John Barrie
April 6th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Great ideas, is there a place to elaborate on this all?
August 20th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Thats a great article. Thanks for sharing.
May 8th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
This is the wonderfull an ideal answer to several ecological and energy saving refrigeration systems wich would make much easier to switch to an all natural refrigerant system cascading R-718 as the final refrigerant – (heat sink fluid) to reject heat to atmosphere at affordable pressures for direct R-744 charged plants without getting in transcritical operation, improving overal COP.
Even if the R-744 system is indirectly cascaded using R-717 as refrigerant fo the CO2 condenser, using R-718 chillers as Ammonia condenser coolant would reduce size of R-717 compressors, reduce ammonia charge further, eliminate ammonia piping out of safe space (engine room) and improve COP.
A high R-718 evaporating temperature as coolant – heat rejector for ammonia condensers is a promising application. That would allow for a non shintetic fluid used refrigeration system, safe, highly efficient
Afurther investigation field would be the cascade of this high evaporation efficient chiller with a second one with direct contact of water in evaporator/condenser to make high temperature water for any use
(cleaning, pasteurization, etc) in a very simple and eficient way. The limit I assume would be the limit of fibers uses for the compressor wheels. Once R-114 is not in the picture for Heat pumping at high temperature, this could be the way: Cascaded R-718 chillers with say 15 C evaporator -35 Condensing/evaporator and ¿ºC? in the final condenser.
I will try to keep updated on developments from Dr. Muller R-718 compressors
May 21st, 2010 at 2:27 pm
I really liked your writing style, keep putting out more content like this!
May 21st, 2010 at 2:35 pm
I really liked your writing, please keep putting out more content like this!
May 21st, 2010 at 6:48 pm
[...] submission was for a water-based system. A diagram of the novel solution is available on the InnoCentive blog. GD Star Ratingloading… Save & [...]
May 31st, 2010 at 1:18 am
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