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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/M507830/1
Title: Key Technologies for Enhancing Energy Efficiency of the Dew Point Air Cooler and its Manufacturing
Principal Investigator: Zhao, Professor X
Other Investigators:
Fancey, Dr KS
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Engineering
Organisation: University of Hull
Scheme: Technology Programme
Starts: 01 May 2015 Ends: 31 July 2017 Value (£): 381,235
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Manufacturing Machine & Plant
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The project aims to develop a novel energy efficient dew point air cooler and associated manufacturing process, through

the close collaboration among the leading UK/China Universities with the most advanced air cooling technologies and the

top China/UK companies having strong manufacturing capacities in instruments and fans. It involves four technical tasks:

(1) development of the cooler design and optimization tool and determination of cooler performance data (Month 1-6, led by

Hull, with Tsinghua and ebm-papst); (2) construction and testing of a 4 kW rated cooler, and identification of associated

manufacturing machines/tools (Month 7-14, led by Hull, with ebm-papst and Sinogreen); (3) development of a

manufacturing process with a computerised energy management system, and production of a 20 kW rated cooler (Month 7-

18, led by Sinogreen, with Tsinghua, ebm-papst and Hull); and (4) installation, real-time measurement, public

demonstration and marketing preparation of the cooler (Month 19-24, led by Sinogreen, with Tsinghua and Hull).

It is expected that (1) a combination of the energy management system and modular/numerical manufacturing

machines/tools will reduce energy use of the manufacturing process by around 20%; (2) the new cooler will achieve around

25% higher cooling efficiency and 40% higher COP, compared with existing dew point air coolers. This exciting leapforward

in technological development could create a new type of air cooler that has comparable price/size to traditional

vapour compression air conditioners but significantly higher COP over the traditional ones (7 to 8 times higher). This

distinguished technological advance should open up an enormous new global business in the air conditioning sector, thus

creating considerable impact on the economy, industry and the environment within the UK, China and beyond.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
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Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
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Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.hull.ac.uk