[September 01, 2011] Ramanna instt redefines 'cool' [DNA : Daily News & Analysis (India)] Tweet (DNA : Daily News & Analysis (India) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) A new indigenous cooling technology is about to change the way your refrigerator or air-conditioner functions. The 'thermal storage technology' patented by an educational and scientific research institute in Indore will drastically reduce your electricity bills and dependence of heavy power sets for running cooling units like air-conditioners, water coolers and refrigeration units if the material is employed in a cost-effective manner. The same formula can be used to build cold storage units and insulate building. The cooling technique has been jointly developed by Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) under Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and School of Energy and Environment Studies (SEES) of Devi Ahilya Vishwa Vidyalaya (DAVV). The patent is the outcome of a research in nuclear sciences, titled, "peak reduction of air-conditioning system through thermal storage". SS Kulkarni, superintending engineer, RRCAT, Dr D Buddhi and Dr RL Sawhney, SEES professors, jointly worked on this project. Dr Buddhi and Dr Sawhney have left Indore for higher pursuits and the project had come to a standstill. Kulkarni told DNA, "We are reviving the project considering its utility in applications for general public use. We are trying to employ the technology for a viable commercial production." SEES, director Dr SP Singh told DNA, "In a fixed temperature heat in large quantity can be stored in salts like sodium and carbonates similarly for low-temperature storage salt like glycol and calcium are effective." Kulkarni's team is now putting together the infrastructure to make it viable for commercial use. In this project, a phase change material (PCM) has been employed as a core technology which is superior to the prevalent sub-zero or sub-ambient operating PCM in cooling units. The new material is in line with global research trends in refrigeration and air-conditioning and doubles up as an effective energy conservation measure. An Indian patent (Patent No. 234952), titled "An improved sub-ambient phase change composition" was granted to the RRCAT and SEES, Indore by the controller of patents, India for a period of 20 years.   Credit:Aditya Singh Parmar (c) 2011 @ 2011 DILIGENT MEDIA CORPORATION LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]