SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK

---

Division of Applied Thermodynamics and Refrigeration, Department of Energy Technology; at Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Stockholm:

Postal address: KTH Energiteknik, Avdelningen för Tillämpad Termodynamik, 100 44 Stockholm
Visiting address: Brinellvägen 60
Phone: +46 (0)8-790 86 53
Fax: +46 (0)8-203 007
Web page: http://www.energy.kth.se/index.asp?pnr=8&ID=8&lang=0

Contact person: Ass Prof Per Lundqvist

The Department of Energy Technology is organized in a number of divisions and centers. The activities are supervised by a board with members from faculty, industry and students. The staff consists of 4 professors, about 20 senior researchers, about 40 PhD students and 20 other staff. The department is a partner in the CETET center at KTH.
At the department an International Masters of Science Program in Sustainable Energy Engineering is offered. More details on the course in english medium, which has been very popular among students from developing countries – including South Asia – during the five years it has been running.

Research fields at the Division

In the Division of Applied Thermodynamics and Refrigeration emphasis is put on education and research on environment friendly energy transformation. The research is directed towards thermodynamic properties of media, heat transfer, studies of components and systems for heat pump,
refrigeration and cooling. Well-equipped laboratories and access to powerful computers provide the foundation for activities which are on a high level, and, which are recognized as such, internationally. Because of the excellence of our educational program, a number of projects are carried out in collaboration with, and with support from, industry and research organizations, within Sweden and
internationally. The main fields of research can be divided into the following areas:

• Thermodynamic cycles in general, with special interest in applications for heat pumps and refrigeration engineering.
• Working media, practical as well as theoretical studies of "new" refrigerants as replacements to CFC- and HCFC-type media (so called ”Freons”). The area also includes secondary refrigerants for indirect systems.
• Heat transfer correlations and techniques for heat exchange. Theoretical and practical developments especially for applications to boiling and condensing media, compact heat exchangers and for cooling of electronic components using different approaches.
• Components and systems for heat pumps and refrigeration. Experiences obtained in converting systems and components to use new, environmental friendly refrigerants, including the use of mixtures and ”natural”substances.

Ongoing research connected to South Asia

Sanjeeva Witharana defended his Licentiate thesis on ”Boiling of refrigerants on enhanced surfaces and boiling of nanofluids” in May 2003. More information, with link to the full thesis.
Witharana, hailing from Gampaha, 50 km away from Colombo, Sri Lanka, graduated from the University of Moratuwa as an Engineer in 1997, and went to KTH Sweden for Post Graduate studies. He completed his M.Sc. in 1999. His research deals with Energy Technoogy, emphasising on efficient useage of energy, looking at prospects of improving the energy efficiency of heat transfer systems in a broader basis. Mathematically, if we achieve a better efficiency in an energy consumtion system, in turn, we will be get the benefit of lower power input to that system. for an example, a household refrigerator consumes 100 Watts of electric power to keep our food stuff cold. If it is possible to improve the efficiency of this refrigerator by 20 p.c., we can cool our food stuff by consuming only 80 Watts. That means the electricity bill will be eased, less burning of fossil fuels, and less number of nuclear plants etc. Witharana is aiming at improving the energy efficiency of power consuming apparatus, with special focus put on Sri Lanka.
Witharana is now back in Sri Lanka.