Grant: Idea to Innovation

Conventional air conditioners (ACs) consume significant amounts of electricity, generated mainly from*burning fossil fuels. AC and refrigeration units use almost 15% of the electricity produced globally. A surge in*global use of AC systems poise to place unparalleled demand on the energy supply and significantly curtail*global climate change plans. The proposed project aims to accelerate the development of an efficient and*compact sorption air conditioning (SAC) pre-market prototype which is driven by waste-heat (temperatures*below 80 °C) that is free and readily available from internal combustion engines, fuel cells, natural gas, or*other renewable sources such as solar thermal panels.*The proposed SAC system is comprised of a sorption bed and a combined evaporator-condenser unit,*assembled inside a sealed chamber. The focus of this development will be on clean transportation and net-zero*buildings, where reducing carbon footprint and sustainability is a key mandate. The project relies on the*integration of an advanced sorption unit and a patent-pending micro capillary-assisted low-pressure evaporator*technology, US provisional Patent Application, No. 62/623406. The project benefits from the participation of*market leaders in clean transportation: New Flyer Industries (a Manitoba bus manufacturer) and Ballard Power*Systems (a British Columbia technology leader in fuel cell buses). The proposed project includes development*of novel consolidated sorption materials, ultra-compact heat exchangers, and 3D printed prototype with strong*potentials for further intellectual property generation and market introduction of new sustainable energy*conversion systems that are beneficial to all Canadians and beyond.