Research in ISHRAE
ISHRAE Technical Committee (ITC) is the apex body that oversees the direction and pace of all technical activities within ISHRAE. Several sub-Committees are set up under ITC such as: Standards and Research Committees.
It is expected that research would improve existing HVAC&R systems, equipment, processes, operations and designs. Scientific research would lead to publications and help create technical information, guidebooks and standards specially for application in the Indian context and generally for use world over.
Strategic Research Objectives (SRO for 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 )
1. Optimise operational energy performance of HVAC systems
- Modelling and validation of corrosion, fouling and scaling in heat exchangers and effect of prognostic maintenance
- CTs, pumps, Heat Pumps for Hot water generation and heat recovery, Thermal storage
- Evaluating energy conservation due to floating chilled water outlet temperature with fixed chilled water flow-rate versus variable chilled water flow-rate and constant chilled water outlet temperature
- Advantage of VAV-VFD combination on air side over variable chilled water on water side.
2. Capital cost-effective and low energy cold storage construction technologies, insulation and equipments
- Performance studies on retail and large cold storages under high ambient conditions
- Methodology to measure thermal Performance of Insulation at very low temperatures
- The impact of room storage conditions on shelf-life of Indian agricultural products (will have to be done in collaboration with NHB and ICAR etc.)
3. Maintaining IEQ in occupied spaces
- IEQ standard implementation methodology
- Understanding of the impact of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) on productivity and health symptoms.
4. Building Information Modeling of energy efficient, high performing IEQ compliant buildings.
- Study of RTS method for estimating cooling load as applicable to Indian conditions
- Developing a model for estimating IAQ parameters at design stage. Presently CO2 is used as a surrogate for IAQ, IAQA method of ASHRAE 62.1 is available, but this needs to be augmented for application.
- The impact of room storage conditions on shelf-life of Indian agricultural products (will have to be done in collaboration with NHB and ICAR etc.)
- Studying R values of various construction material used in typical Indian buildings
5. Application of natural and low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants and environmental damage reducing methods.
- Safety in use of natural refrigerants
- Development of new synthetic refrigerants
6. Developing improved system efficiency in HVAC&R components for residential, commercial, and institutional applications for affordability, reliability and safety.
- Improving efficiency of IDEC systems
- Methodology to measure thermal Performance of Insulation at very low temperatures
7. Development of automation for building management system (BMS) as applicable to HVAC&R systems based on HoF requirements.
- Development of framework for minimum IO summary and PID for a typical HVAC system
- Development of framework for minimum IO summary and PID for a typical Refrigeration system for a Cold Room
8. Solar energy based cooling systems
- Hybrid IDEC-cum-air-conditioning systems based on solar energy
- Cooling systems for refrigeration systems
- Development of a Design Guide for Solar cooling systems
- Passive cooling of structures
9. Need of data for various policy decisions by Government, NGO’s, FII, Indian investors
- Developing a national data base on air-conditioned buildings (end-use, size, number of floors, year of commissioning), installed equipment (type, size x numbers, stand-by, water/air cooled, refrigerant used), etc.
- A research project to understand Indian Energy demand due to HVAC&R by 2020, 2030, and 2050.
10 . Developing technology for NZEB
- Dynamic windows and photochromic glazing for improving heat gain
- Phase change material for windows and walls
- Reducing peak cooling load by distributed thermal storage in AHUs using PCM
