Comforting News: MIT Reports on Innovative HVAC Technology to Meet Global Demand

Last week, climate reporter Casey Crownhart at MIT Technology Review, reported on moisture-absorbing material that has caught the attention of investors around the world seeking solutions for energy consumption and overwhelmed grids.

As extreme heat continues to rise, the demand for air conditioning is expected to triple in the next few decades, causing a growing interest in more efficient systems. MIT-founded startup Transaera is developing a hybrid system using metal organic frameworks to reduce energy consumption in air conditioners. Desiccants, materials that suck up moisture, could be added to existing designs for air conditioners, absorbing water from the air and cutting down on the energy required to keep rooms comfortable.

Blue Frontier, a Florida-based startup, is using liquid desiccants to build cooling systems. The cooling technology relies on a salt solution that can pull moisture from the air. The cooling system works by passing a stream of air through a channel and over a thin layer of desiccant, pulling moisture out of the air. The now-dry air goes through an evaporative cooling step, which lowers the temperature of the air. Blue Frontier's cooling system can work in virtually any climate and can be tweaked to handle changes in the weather or thermostat set point, altering the balance between cooling and dehumidifying, which could help unlock further efficiency gains.

One of the biggest roadblocks to widespread desiccant cooling has been the need for a method to recharge the materials efficiently. Desiccants can suck up a limited amount of water before they need to be wrung out or regenerated. Blue Frontier uses a heat pump to regenerate its desiccant, releasing the water into another stream of air that is released outside. Offsetting the regeneration will mean that Blue Frontier's system could help reduce peak power demand by between 80% and 90%.

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Other startups are also looking to eliminate the need for heat altogether. Boston-based Zephyr is hoping to use membranes to filter water out of liquid desiccants to regenerate them, similar to the process used to pull salt out of water in desalination facilities. Zephyr plans to assemble a full lab-scale prototype of a cooling system later this year, using about 45% less electricity than the best vapor-compression air conditioners on the market today.

As demand increases around the world, access to efficient and affordable cooling is critical for an equitable energy distribution.

Source: MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW 2023

https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/07/26/1076731/materials-air-conditioning/amp/

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