| Water as a refrigerant can be an economical and environmentally conscious alternative to conventional refrigerants. It has a long history of being utilized to cool various things throughout human history and even beyond. From ocean currents and floods to the ice in our drinks, water is perhaps the most natural cooling agent on the planet. In addition to the environmental benefits, the use of water in a vapor compression refrigeration cycle will also be shown to perform thermodynamically very efficient. This, in turn, leads to economical benefits in the realm of power consumption as well as availability.;In fact, water as a refrigerant is already being utilized in commercial applications in Europe, Israel, and South Africa. The current state-of-the-art technology used in these countries is discussed. In addition, the challenges that arise from this technology are also discussed as well as the various characteristics that make water as a refrigerant an attractive alternative to conventional refrigerants used in the US.;Finally, the enabling, innovative technology that can be shown to address these challenges is conveyed. The primary component of this technology includes a novel compressor with a unique, woven impeller design including its novel manufacturing technique. Like many technologies, the exploitation of this research is not limited to the immediate motivating concept of water as a refrigerant, but may also be utilized in other applications such as power generation, propulsion, venting, and more. |
