CEEE Design Could Boost Cold-Climate Heat Pump Performance

Inside a UMD laboratory chamber, researcher Jangho Yang steps onto a stool and then climbs into a partially disassembled heat pump — literally immersing himself in his work. Wrench in hand, the CEEE graduate research assistant, crouches among the unit’s internal components as he tackles a persistent challenge in cold-climate HVAC systems: keeping heat pumps efficient when temperatures plunge.

Yang and CEEE Research Professor Yunho Hwang recently published a paper in Applied Thermal Engineering that presents a theoretical analysis of a design that combines two strategies for cold-climate operations: refrigerant injection and thermal energy storage. Now the CEEE team is testing its hybrid approach in the lab.

Learn more and download the paper→

CEEE Director Vikrant Aute Receives Distinguished Service Award

Congratulations to CEEE Director and Research Professor Vikrant Aute on receiving the Dave Tree Distinguished Service Award at the 2026 Herrick Conferences at Purdue University. For more than three decades, CEEE researchers have supported the Herrick Conferences, presenting over 100 papers on research that is building a more energy-efficient and sustainable future.

Learn more →

Research Team Develops ML Tool to Predict Uneven Airflow in AC Systems

CEEE researchers developed a machine learning (ML) framework that could boost air-conditioning efficiency by quickly predicting changes in airflow velocity that affect heat exchanger performance. Congratulations to researchers Brian O'Malley (pictured), James Tancabel and Vikrant Aute on their recent publication in the International Journal of Refrigeration.

Learn more; access the paper →

Welcome CEEE Students!

We are thrilled to welcome four new Ph.D. students to CEEE. Pictured, left to right:

Toufik Zisan and Tahmidul Haque Ruvo, Consortium for Energy Efficiency and Heat Pumps

Avery Layne, Advanced Heat Exchangers and Process Intensification Consortium

Ahmed Hassanein, Modeling and Optimization Consortium

CEEE's sponsors will have an opportunity to meet new and returning students at the Fall Consortium Meetings, Sept. 14–16.

Learn more about CEEE's new students

Terps Travel Abroad to Collaborate With Global Peers on Energy Solutions

As a mechanical engineering undergraduate at the University of Maryland, Yara Daher ’25, always dreamed of studying abroad. This summer, as a master’s student and CEEE graduate research assistant, she finally found the opportunity she had been waiting for: the International Joint Graduate Course in Sustainable Energy Conversion and the Environment, co-led by CEEE.

Learn more →

UMD Hosts Teachers for a Summer of Sustainable Cooling Research

Two high school STEM educators headed back to their classrooms this fall equipped with hands-on engineering experience — and fresh insights into advances in air-conditioning and data center cooling — thanks to a summer Research Experience for Teachers at the University of Maryland. CEEE researcher Boyang Liu (above, right) shared her expertise and helped mentor the teachers.

Learn more →

Research on the Move:

CEEE Presents Latest Advancements at Summer Conferences

CEEE took its research around the globe this summer, presenting at several leading conferences, including the 17th IIR-Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants in Hamilton, New Zealand; the 15th IEA Heat Pump Conference in Vienna, Austria; and the IEEE ITherm Conference in Orlando, Florida.

We enjoyed connecting with other researchers dedicated to building a sustainable future. The Herrick Conferences at Purdue University provided a wonderful opportunity to catch up with many of our CEEE alumni, pictured below with current faculty and students. It was inspiring to hear how our alumni continue to make an impact across the field.

View a list of CEEE conference presentations

Het Mevada's Doctoral Research Brings Elastocaloric Cooling Closer to Market

Congratulations to Het Mevada on defending his Ph.D. dissertation, “Performance Enhancement of Elastocaloric Cooling Through System Optimization, Novel Material Architectures, and Scalable Design.” Mevada’s research focused on elastocaloric cooling, a promising alternative to conventional vapor-compression systems that relies on shape memory alloys and has zero global warming potential.

Learn more →

Krishnamurti Develops Novel Modeling Approach for Plate-Fin-Type Heat Exchangers

We're pleased to celebrate that Suraj Krishnamurti recently defended his Ph.D. dissertation, “Finite Volume Modeling of Dehumidification and Frosting Phenomena in Compact Heat Exchangers With Generalized Flows.” For his dissertation, Krishnamurti developed a novel finite control volume modeling approach for performance prediction of plate-fin-type heat exchangers.

Learn more →

SEPTEMBER

14

MOC Software Workshop

Members of CEEE's Modeling and Optimization Consortium (MOC) are invited to a walk-through of our modeling and simulation frameworks. Learn more about how these sophisticated tools shorten development timelines and reduce costs. 1:00–3:45 pm (preceding CEEE's Fall Consortium Meetings) in person or virtual. RSVP here.

SEPTEMBER

14-16

Fall Consortium Meetings

CEEE sponsors: Join us for our Fall Consortium Meetings, which will be held at UMD, with an option to join virtually. Learn about our latest research and tour our labs. RSVP by September 4 for in-person attendance and by September 11 for virtual attendance . RSVP here.

CEEE News

Postdoc and Grad School Opportunites

Donate to

CEEE Fellowships