ASHRAE Journal - October 2019 - 82

RESEARCH REPORT

Research Projects
ASHRAE, under the leadership of RAC,
initiated 16 new research projects and completed 16 projects during ﬁscal year 2018 - 2019 ending
June 30, 2019). The average cost right now of an active
ASHRAE project is approximately $159,000. Four technical papers, Six conference papers, and seven seminars
based on ASHRAE research projects were presented at
Society meetings during the past year and another six
were published this past year in the ASHRAE publication, Science and Technology for the Built Environment.
ASHRAE research projects result from work statements
initiated by the Society's technical committees, or from
unsolicited proposals submitted by organizations interested in conducting research for ASHRAE. Any research
that advances the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, refrigeration, air conditioning or the allied arts
and sciences, and related human factors, is eligible for
funding; this is ASHRAE's mission.
Work statements originating from technical committees, after approval by RAC, are offered to prospective
bidders for proposals. The bidders' list includes universities and agencies that have a history of cooperative
research with ASHRAE or have indicated an interest in
ASHRAE research. If you want to add your name to the

What is a Strategic Plan?
At any given time, 70 to 100 ASHRAE research projects are being developed around the world.

The members of the Research Administration
Committee (RAC) maintain stewardship of the funds
entrusted to ASHRAE by careful planning and oversight of the research
program. ASHRAE utilizes an extensive unpaid volunteer network of technical committee members to prepare work statements, select projects,
select contractors, and monitor research projects to ensure that maximum
beneﬁts accrue from ASHRAE-sponsored research. Additionally, RAC plans
the research program, evaluates and approves the projects and ensures
that results are properly presented. In summary, ASHRAE research gets a
lot of bang for its bucks.
Expenditures for projects and grants-in-aid for FY 2018-2019 were
almost $1.3 million. In addition to the research project and grant-in-aid
expenditures, ASHRAE joined with government and private agencies to
fund and support special projects of mutual beneﬁt, including expediting
standards, producing technical publications and conducting research.

bidders' list and receive automatic e-mail notiﬁcation
when projects are released for bid, typically twice per
year, please go to http://www.ashrae.org/resources-publications/periodicals/listserves-terms-of-use
Unsolicited proposals are accepted from organizations interested in conducting ASHRAE-related research

in refrigerants and propose future research within
ASHRAE.

Some projects are developing new technology,
while others are focused on more routine information for ASHRAE standards and Handbook chapters.
Other projects become special publications.

Currently, odorants are not approved for use in
HVAC&R refrigerants despite their obvious utility and
there are no known public initiatives to qualify them.
However, there may be new odorant technologies available today that were not available in years past that are,
in fact, compatible with refrigerants. Conversely, the
several new LGWP refrigerant compositions that are
being introduced today may be compatible with legacy
odorant technologies once thought not applicable to
refrigerants.

One of this year's new research projects, 1794-TRP,
White Paper Investigation Relating to the Use of
Odorants in Flammable Refrigerants, will help to
highlight gaps relative to the incorporation of odorants

The industry needs a starting point and the goal of
this project is to consolidate information in one place
to help the industry understand the magnitude of the
challenge (or lack thereof) and to set a path forward.

While the projects' topics vary, their common
ground is to develop and reﬁne technology and
information that keeps ASHRAE's standards and
Handbook up-to-date and accurate.

Stewardship

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ASHRAE Journal - October 2019

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