Frankfurt (Main),  September  2015  –  Every two years, eurammon, the initiative for natural 

refrigerants,  awards  a prize for pioneering research work in the field of natural refrigerants. 

This  year  the  Natural  Refrigeration  Award  -  endowed  with  €5,000  -  was  presented  in 

cooperation with Zhongyuan University of Technology in China and the South African journal 

The Cold Link. The 2015  award winners were honoured for their academic  dissertations  at 

the  eurammon  symposium  on  June  25^thand  were  given  the  opportunity  to  present  their 

research results to the international expert audience at the lecture event. 

 

First  prize  was  awarded  to  Christian  Lucas  for  his  dissertation  at  the  Technical  University 

Braunschweig. The  work  was  based  on  a model  experiment  conducted  by  the  scientist  to 

increase the efficiency of a CO₂ operated refrigeration system in which a two-phase ejector 

compensated  for  energy  loss  at  the  expansion  valve.  The  results  not  only  convinced  the 

international jury but also impressed those attending the eurammon symposium. "We hope 

that  these  findings  can  be  put  into  practice  as  soon  as  possible",  said  Monika  Witt, 

Chairwoman of eurammon.

 

Second  prize  went  to  Christoph  Steffan  for  his  diploma  thesis  at  the  Technical  University 

Dresden.  The  objective  of  his  experimental  study  conducted  in  cooperation  with  the 

Fraunhofer  Institute  was  to  optimise  the  process  involved  in  making  ice  slurry.  He  used a 

high-speed  camera  to  examine  the  behaviour  of  freezing  ice  droplets  on  water-repellent 

surfaces under rough vacuum conditions. "The  refrigeration industry  has been pursuing the 

objective of using water as a refrigerant since the 1930s. These research results take us an 

important step forwards", praised Monika Witt.

 

Third  place  went  to  Robert  Hiller  from  the  European  Academy  of  Refrigeration  and 

Airconditioning  ESaK in Maintal for his bachelor's dissertation on planning an air-cooled CO₂

system.  "Once  again  this  year,  many  up-and-coming  scientists  submitted  impressive 

abstracts for the Natural Refrigeration Award", said eurammon board member Mark Bulmer. 

"This demonstrates the high standard of research in the field of natural refrigerants that is 

currently being conducted in very innovative areas all over the world."

 

More  information  about  the  Natural  Refrigeration  Award  and  the  prize  winners  of  recent 

years is available on the eurammon homepage www.eurammon.com. 

 

From right to left: Christian Lucas (TU Braunschweig), Monika Witt (Chairwoman of eurammon), Christoph Steffan (TU Dresden), Josef Neuberger (on behalf of Robert Hiller, ESaK Maintal).