Trane Technologies advances heat pump efficiency to decarbonise industrial sector

Company collaborates with universities and national lab on innovative projects awarded grants from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Industrial heat pumps provide a path to the electrification of high-temperature heating processes and offer an alternative to using fossil fuel combustion in the production of cement, food and beverage, chemicals, and other carbon-intensive industries. Industrial sector accounts for one-third of all energy-related domestic GHG emissions. Trane Technologies announced its participation in three projects accelerating next-generation heat pump efficiency to reduce energy and emissions across multiple industrial sectors. These projects were recently awarded U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grants for the research and development of transformational technologies aimed at decarbonizing heavy industry. Lead research partners and project descriptions:

• DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Develop and test an ultra-high temperature industrial heat pump, with multiple systems-level design considerations including advanced, AI-enabled integration and process control, low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants and waste heat recovery.
• Purdue University – Develop a higher-temperature industrial heat pump that leverages 3D printing for the system’s compressor and considers design factors such as thermal energy storage for optimized integration of industrial processes.
• Texas A&M University’s Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) – Develop a high-performance heat pump system that integrates dehumidification, low-cost sensors and predictive controls to improve methods for drying foods while ensuring food quality and lowering energy costs.

These new heat pump innovations build on Trane Technologies’ position as an industry leader in decarbonisation solutions for the built environment. The company’s latest heat pump technology for commercial buildings combines heating and cooling systems into one, high-efficiency electric solution. Its residential cold-climate heat pump surpassed the DOE requirements for high-efficiency heating in freezing temperatures.

Paul Camuti, executive vice president and chief technology and sustainability officer of Trane Technologies said, “We are relentlessly innovating smart solutions for a net-zero future and helping to answer the call for deploying climate solutions at-scale. We look forward to working with our research partners as we continue to challenge what’s possible for a more sustainable world.” Through bold, industry-leading action, Trane Technologies is advancing its 2030 Sustainability Commitments, including its Gigaton Challenge, and its net-zero by 2050 pledge, with emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).

For more on Trane Technologies, visit www.tranetechnologies.com.