Slovenian researchers are developing a new approach to cooling technology that offers a more sustainable way to stay cool in a warming world without relying on harmful refrigerants.
The vapor-compression technology used in most fridges and air conditioners is over a century old, relatively inefficient, and harmful to the environment. Although the most damaging refrigerants were banned in 1989, their replacements—hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—were found to have greenhouse gas effects thousands of times greater than Carbon dioxide.
Now, scientist Jaka Tušek, assistant professor at University of Ljubljana’s faculty of mechanical engineering in Slovenia, and his team are testing a technology that is aimed at replacing toxic refrigerants with metal tubes. Tušek’s…