Heat exhangers: what's new?

Nanotechnology: the future of heat exchangers? The US Department of Energy has awarded contracts to improve energy efficiency. One such contract, awarded to TIAX, a technology development company, through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Programme, shall be used to develop a technique to improve the overall efficiency of air-cooled condensers. Nanotechnology will be used to develop heat exchangers with tiny fibres to improve the fluid/air heat exchangers in air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. The ability of these "nanofibres" to increase heat transfer in an advanced enhanced-fin heat exchanger assembly will be tested. This approach to AC and refrigeration systems aims to improve efficiency, thus reducing carbon emissions and the consumption of electricity. http://home.businesswire.com PF2 The revolutionary PF2 (parallel flow plate fin) cooling core technology designed by Modine Manufacturing Company is an all-aluminium brazed heat exchanger that solves the water drainage problems found in current microchannel heat exchangers thanks to a new fin design that operates in vertical or horizontal flow settings. This revolutionary technology was introduced last year and received the Cooling Innovation Award. It can be applied to condenser and evaporator applications in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. Further advantages over the existing copper tube aluminium fin coils include lower system operating and material costs and lower noise levels.