The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently awarded funding to faculty members from Purdue University's Herrick Labs, the world's largest academic lab for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R). The funding is part of the DOE's Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) program, which aims to address the significant energy consumption associated with residential and commercial buildings in the U.S.

Davide Ziviani, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is leading a $2 million project titled "Commercial Cold Climate Rooftop Heat Pump Using CO₂/Propane Cascaded with a Centrifugal System." The project aims to develop a cold climate heat pump rooftop unit which utilizes a cascaded loop system to enhance heat pump efficiencies in low temperatures. Ziviani is collaborating with Trane Technologies, Copeland, and Oak Ridge National Laboratories.

Neera Jain, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, is involved in two separate projects that received funding from the DOE. The first, a $2.5 million collaboration with the University of Wisconsin, focuses on developing a plug-and-play multisplit HVAC system with modular thermal storage units, with the objective of reducing electricity consumption during peak demand by up to 50%. The second, a $2 million project with Copeland, aims to create a multifunctional HVAC platform with modular thermal storage, in an effort to reduce the overall energy needs for space conditioning and water heating by 40%.

At Herrick Labs, Jain's work has involved experimentation with thermal energy storage modules utilizing a phase-change material such as paraffin wax. These modules store and discharge heat, reducing the electricity required to manage HVAC system heat.

Overall, these projects will contribute to the advancement of sustainable, resilient and energy-efficient HVAC&R technologies, addressing the environmental and economic impact of energy consumption in buildings.