Metal Muscles Make Refrigeration More Efficient

Shape memory alloys the basis for more efficient refrigerant-free cooling Gizmag, February 8, 2016. Image credit: By preserving our food and keeping our buildings comfortable in hot weather, mechanical cooling systems have been a boon, but with their refrigerant gases and high power consumption they’re not exactly environmentally friendly. In an effort to make a … Read more

Cold Storage Savings Opportunities in Data Centers

cold storage

Rise of the machines Rac Plus, January 6, 2016. Image credit: Dennis van Zuijlekom In June 2015, a study by Jonathan Koomey and Jon Taylor confirmed the view that a great deal of the servers inside the data centres are just consuming electricity, while not being used or accessed in any way. The study concluded that … Read more

Environmental Regulations Innovate Refrigeration Design

refrigeration design

Case History: Safer, Eco-Friendly System for Food Cooling Food Processing, October 26, 2015. Image credit: Sonny W. Cooling system designs in the food and beverage market are undergoing rapid change, mainly due to environmental regulations. Processors are trying to reduce refrigerant charge or to eliminate certain types of refrigerants completely, especially ones that can endanger workers … Read more

Ask the Expert: Refrigerant & Regenerative Desiccant Compressed Air Dryers

What is the difference between refrigerant-type compressed air dryers and regenerative desiccant-type compressed air dryers? What are the advantages and disadvantages of one over the other? Karamvir Singh for Zondits, January 4, 2016 Answer: Let’s start by answering why you even need to dry the compressed air. The atmospheric air contains water vapor that begins … Read more

A Processor That Integrates Electronic Circuits and Optics

light microprocessor

Light Chips Could Mean More Energy-Efficient Data Centers MIT Technology Review, December 23, 2015. Image credit: Glenn Asakawa, University of Colorado Now a prototype described in the journal Nature offers a promising and practical approach. The electronic-optical microprocessor, developed by a group of researchers at MIT, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Colorado, Boulder, … Read more