Principal Investigator: Prof Ooi Kim Tiow (Chair, School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE), NTU)
Team: Pradeep Shakya (Ph.D. Student, MAE, NTU), Cheng Kai Xian (Ph.D. Student, MAE, NTU), Lim Yeu De (Ph.D. Student, MAE, NTU), Heng Kim Rui (Ph.D. Student, MAE, NTU)
Mentor: Felix Gnanapragasam (Mentor, NTUitive Pte Ltd)
Simple and Efficient HVAC Solutions
Rotary vane machines are used in liquid pumping, gas compression and other applications. According to the Japanese Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration News (JARN), the annual production (2017-18) for positive displacement rotary compressors exceeded 188 million pieces and is growing at 31.3% annually. A large volume of materials, especially metal, is used every year to produce these rotary machines. The coupled-vane rotary machine provides an efficient and more environmentally sustainable solution. The coupled vanes cut through the rotor and hence allows the rotor to be as small as the motor shaft for the effective functioning of the machine. Given its compactness, this design has the potential to save a significant amount of materials, especially metal, during its production. The coupled-vane compressor also has the potential to save more than 20% of energy during its operation.