Cromer Cycle Air Conditioner: A Unique Air-Conditioner Desiccant Cycle to Enhance Dehumidification and Save Energy

The Cromer cycle uses a desiccant to move moisture from the saturated air leaving an air conditioning (AC) cooling coil to the air returning to the AC unit from the conditioned space. This has the thermodynamic effect of reducing the overall energy consumption of the AC unit and also has the side benefit of dramatically increasing the moisture removal capacity of the AC coil. Simulations, engineering analysis and laboratory tests have confirmed the technical feasibility of the thermodynamics of the cycle. This work reports on a test at ARI conditions (95 deg. F outside, 80 deg F, 51% RH inside). The test unit (10 year old, 5 ton Bryant Air Conditioner) without the Cromer cycle, averaged an EER of 7.93 at a latent ratio of 26.2 % (SHR = 0.738). With the Cromer cycle added, the same unit averaged a total cooling EER of 11.82 with a water removal latent ratio of 53.4% (SHR= 0.466). The measured 16.4% reduction in energy use and 47.9 improvement in EER is significant for the tests at the 95% confidence level. This technology represents a major improvement in energy performance for the control of humidity conditions

Cromer Cycle Air Conditioner: A Study to Confirm Target Performance

The Cromer cycle uses a desiccant wheel operating in conjunction with a typical air conditioning system. Simulations and laboratory prototypes demonstrate that the cycle has the potential for enhanced humidity control with sensible heat ratios as low as 40% and with far less energy use than other humidity control strategies. The research of this paper includes the purchase of “off the shelf” materials and the assembly of a working residential sized Cromer cycle desiccant air conditioning system. A desiccant wheel was retrofitted on an existing operational two and one half ton air conditioning system within an occupied residence in Cocoa Beach, Florida to validate the energy reduction targets and humidity control performance of this new technology. The unit was constructed and installed during the winter months of 2000. The monitoring for energy and dehumidification performance presented in this paper took place in the Spring of 2001. The unit was installed and removed so that performance data “with” and “without” the Cromer cycle was obtained for comparison. Performance data on the AC unit were acquired using the air-enthalpy method of ARI/ASHRAE test procedures with data recorded on Campbell Scientific CR-10 data acquisition system and downloaded to computer for analysis. The Cromer cycle system provided a three fold increase in moisture control capacity with a 4% reduction in energy use at the conditions tested

A Study to Determine the Energy Impact of Adding Polarshield to Air Conditioning Systems

PolarShield is a polarized refrigerant compressor oil additive containing the a-olefin molecule which is a commonly used oil additive to reduce high pressure viscosity breakdown. The manufacturers of this air conditioner compressor oil additive (COA) claim significant energy savings as a result of using their product. The objective of this study was the evaluation of the potential kWh savings that would result from the addition of an a-olefin molecule COA such as PolarShield to an air conditioner unit operating under typical hot outdoor conditions (95 degrees F). The test was operated in a “before” - “after” manner with each before-after segment operated for twelve days and three tests were conducted - one on a new 2.5 ton system where 1.25 oz. COA was added, one on a 5 ton older unit where 2.5 oz. COA was added, and a third on the same 5 ton unit where an additional 2.5 oz. COA was added to total 5.0 oz added to the system. The heat and humidity loads were carefully held constant for the before and after time periods, and the air conditioner equipment was allowed to cycle on its thermostat to meet the loads and maintain a stable indoor condition. The results of this series of tests showed no energy savings when the PolarShield COA was used

A general method to eliminate laboratory induced recombinants during massive, parallel sequencing of cDNA library.

Massive, parallel sequencing is a potent tool for dissecting the regulation of biological processes by revealing the dynamics of the cellular RNA profile under different conditions. Similarly, massive, parallel sequencing can be used to reveal the complexity of viral quasispecies that are often found in the RNA virus infected host. However, the production of cDNA libraries for next-generation sequencing (NGS) necessitates the reverse transcription of RNA into cDNA and the amplification of the cDNA template using PCR, which may introduce artefact in the form of phantom nucleic acids species that can bias the composition and interpretation of original RNA profiles

Elucidation of the substrate binding site of Siah ubiquitin ligase

The Siah family of RING proteins function as ubiquitin ligase components, contributing to the degradation of multiple targets involved in cell growth, differentiation, angiogenesis, oncogenesis, and inflammation. Previously, a binding motif (degron) was recognized in many of the Siah degradation targets, suggesting that Siah itself may facilitate substrate recognition. We report the crystal structure of the Siah in complex with a peptide containing the degron motif. Binding is within a groove formed in part by the zinc fingers and the first two ß strands of the TRAF-C domain of Siah. We show that residues in the degron, previously described to facilitate binding to Siah, interact with the protein. Mutagenesis of Siah at sites of interaction also abrogates both in vitro peptide binding and destabilization of a known Siah target

Mice deficient in the putative phospholipid flippase ATP11C exhibit altered erythrocyte shape, anemia, and reduced erythrocyte life span

Transmembrane lipid transporters are believed to establish and maintain phospholipid asymmetry in biological membranes; however, little is known about the in vivo function of the specific transporters involved. Here, we report that developing erythrocytes from mice lacking the putative phosphatidylserine flippase ATP11Cshowed a lower rate ofPStranslocation in vitro compared with erythrocytes from wild-type littermates. Furthermore, the mutant mice had an elevated percentage of phosphatidylserineexposing mature erythrocytes in the periphery. Although erythrocyte development in ATP11C-deficient mice was normal, the mature erythrocytes had an abnormal shape (stomatocytosis), and the life span of mature erythrocytes was shortened relative to that in control littermates, resulting in anemia in the mutant mice. Thus, our findings uncover an essential role for ATP11C in erythrocyte morphology and survival and provide a new candidate for the rare inherited blood disorder stomatocytosis with uncompensated anemia.This work was supported in part by National Health and Medical Research Council Grant GNT1061288. Supported by National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship GNT1035858 and by the Ramaciotti Foundation