Professor Ahmed Kovacevic delivered a keynote speech at the 10th International Conference on Compressor and Refrigeration, held in Xi’an, China. His presentation, titled “Emerging Technologies for Positive Displacement Compressors and Expanders”, focused on cutting-edge developments in the field of compressor technology and their role in supporting a Net-Zero future.

In his talk, Prof. Kovacevic highlighted the crucial role of positive displacement screw compressors in various industrial applications, including refrigeration, air conditioning, high-temperature heat pumps, and the compression of air and process gases. With increasing demands for energy efficiency and the drive towards Net-Zero emissions, improving the performance and reliability of these machines has become more important than ever.

The keynote addressed current challenges in performance modelling of screw machines, particularly through the use of low-order chamber thermodynamic models and advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) simulations. These tools are essential for making accurate performance predictions and guiding the design of next-generation compressors.

Prof. Kovacevic also presented the progress of the Project SECRET (Smart Efficient Compression: Reliability and Energy Targets), funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Howden. This ambitious initiative aims to develop highly efficient and reliable oil-free screw compressors, particularly for demanding applications such as hydrogen compression and heat pumps.

In addition, the keynote introduced CERES (Compressors and Expanders in Future Energy Systems), an industrial consortium supporting collaborative research into advanced energy system technologies. Selected research projects funded by CERES members were showcased, illustrating the real-world impact of academia-industry partnerships in transforming compressor technology.