- Q: What is your current research topic?
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We are conducting performance evaluations of stacked microchannel heat exchangers, which are attracting attention as compact, high-performance heat exchangers.
Currently, there is a demand to reduce the use of refrigerants that have a large environmental impact due to the effects of global warming, and a shift to next-generation low GWP refrigerants (GWP: Global Warming Potential) is being promoted. However, the next-generation low GWP refrigerants have inferior heat transfer performance compared to conventional refrigerants, so there are concerns that the size of heat exchangers will increase in order to maintain the performance of current heat exchangers. Against this background, small, high-performance stacked microchannel heat exchangers are attracting attention.
The stacked microchannel heat exchanger has excellent pressure resistance because the flow paths are stacked by diffusion bonding (a method of bonding materials by heating and pressurizing), and can be used under high pressure conditions. The flow paths are formed by etching, which allows for a high degree of freedom in processing, and even small flow paths can be formed. There is not enough knowledge about this heat exchanger, so it is essential to clarify its performance. This is the background to our research. - Q: What motivated you to start your research?
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When I was choosing a laboratory, Associate Professor Daisuke Chika explained to me that "As part of efforts to reduce the environmental impact, you will be involved in the transition from the phased-out use of certain fluorocarbons to new alternative refrigerants with low GWP, and you will be able to conduct research that supports the transition to these new refrigerants." I found this intriguing and wanted to pursue research in this field.
- Q: What is interesting and rewarding about your research?
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We conduct experiments by planning the schedule ourselves, then analyze the results, consider what data we need, and conduct the experiment again. This is a repeated process, but we feel a sense of accomplishment and excitement when we finally compile the results and present them at academic conferences.
At the international conference, I was able to make presentations in English, discuss with foreign researchers, and interact with students from other universities, people from companies, and alumni of our university, which was a valuable experience. - Q: What are some of the challenges of research?
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This was my first experience writing a paper in English, so I struggled with expressing my structure and thoughts in English, but I was able to overcome this with the support of my professors and seniors.
- Q: What kind of social impact can you expect from your research?
Please tell me about short-term (1-2 years from now) and long-term (up to 10 years from now) plans.
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In the short term, we believe we have contributed to clarifying the characteristics of new alternative refrigerants and improving their performance.
In the long term, energy conservation can be promoted by improving refrigeration/air conditioning and heat pump technologies, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition, it is expected that the amount of refrigerant charged can be reduced and switching to natural refrigerants can be made, which will contribute to reducing the environmental burden. - Q What SDGs will your research contribute to?
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- We believe that this will contribute to the achievement of Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy, Goal 9: Promote industry, innovation and infrastructure, and Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change.
- Q: Were there any people or events that influenced you when you decided to enroll at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology?
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- I learned about this university through my high school teacher. As I researched it myself, I found out that there were things I couldn't experience at other universities, such as on-board training.
- Q: What is good about choosing Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology?
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- The number of students is small, so you can get close to the teachers. You can have experiences that you can't get anywhere else at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. During the onboard training, I was moved by the beauty of the night sky when I went out onto the deck in the middle of the night.
- Q: Why did you decide to go to graduate school?
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- I was assigned to a research lab in the second half of my third year, and while research was of course interesting, I decided to continue my studies because I thought that improving my presentation skills through research activities would also help me grow as a person.
- Q: Please tell us about your dreams, goals, and the career you are aiming for in the future.
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- In addition to being involved in the transition of refrigerants, I hope to find a job where I can use my research to contribute to people's lives.
- Please give a message to those who are currently considering going on to a master's or doctoral program.
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- Even if you don't have a big goal from the beginning, I think you can find interest little by little as you proceed with your research. Not only will I be able to gain highly specialized knowledge, but I will also have new experiences and time to think about my future, so I'm glad I decided to continue my studies.
- Click here for Shotaro Kamiyama's OA paper.
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Paper title: Experimental study on heat transfer and pressure drop of R454C and R32 in layered microchannel heat exchanger
Authors and co-authors: Shotaro KAMIYAMA, Ryogo NOGUCHI, Daisuke JIGE, Norihiro INOUE Published in: Proceedings of International Conference on Sustainability and the Cold Chain (ICCC2024)
Publication date: November 2024
DOI: 10.18462/iir.iccc2024.1111
