SBIR Phase II: Redefining Air Conditioning: Commercializing Hyper-Efficient Rotary Heat Exchanger for Residential and Commercial HVAC Energy Reduction

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将开发一种室内空调（RAC），减少电力消耗，减少二氧化碳和其他排放。 预计美国和全球对空间冷却的需求将增加。由于目前的技术只能逐步提高能源效率，消费者成本和电网负荷将恶化。该技术将使消费者的能源成本降低约67%，并通过改善室内空气质量提高生活质量。 预计在未来30年内将销售数十亿台RAC，需要1.2万亿美元的发电能力;通过提高效率（如拟议的RAC）可以显著减少投资。 RAC的物联网（IoT）物联网功能将进一步提高能源效率，因为这些单元将自动响应电网需求信号。其他好处是通过RAC的空气过滤功能改善室内空气质量，通过减少排放改善外部空气质量，通过更有效的系统运行减少噪音污染，并通过延长产品寿命减少固体废物的产生。 该SBIR第二阶段项目建议通过台式和第三方实验室测试完成和验证原型设计，通过现场试点测试和评估展示和验证空调性能，并完成现场就绪原型的可制造性设计（DFM）和物联网集成。在这些任务中，该项目将对热交换器、压缩机、磁联动装置和外壳组件进行组件级优化。测试阶段将在多个相关的真实世界环境中收集验证和确认数据。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will develop a room air conditioner (RAC) that reduces electricity consumption and decreases carbon dioxide and other emissions. The need for space cooling is expected to increase both in the U.S. and globally. With current technologies achieving only incrementally better energy efficiency, consumer costs and grid loads will worsen. The proposed technology will lead to an estimated 67% reduction in energy costs for consumers and a higher quality of life through improved indoor air quality. Billions of RACs are predicted to be sold in the next 30 years, requiring $1.2T in power generation capacity; investments that can be significantly reduced by improved efficiencies such as the proposed RAC. Internet-of-things (IoT) IoT functionalities for RACs will allow further energy efficiency as the units will respond automatically to grid demand signals. The additional benefits are improved indoor air quality through the RAC’s air filtration functionality, improved external air quality from emissions reductions, reduced noise pollution from more efficient system operation, and reduced solid waste generation from longer product life. This SBIR Phase II project proposes to finalize and validate prototyping through bench-top and third-party laboratory testing, demonstrate and verify air conditioner performance through field pilot testing and evaluation, and finalize design-for-manufacturability (DFM) and IoT integration of field-ready prototypes. Within these tasks, this project will perform component-level optimization of the heat exchanger, compressor, magnetic linkage, and housing assembly. The testing phase will collect verification and validation data in multiple relevant real-world environments.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.