突破瓶颈！新型暖通技术驱动能效双提升

一种新型暖通空调 “力量”：降低能耗，提升效率
A New HVAC “Force” Cuts Energy, Boosts Efficiency

新型传热系统的研发，正是为了解决暖通系统中最为突出的低效问题。无需制冷剂、水泵或大量能源输入，性能却能提升高达10倍。
New heat-transfer system targets HVAC’s biggest inefficiencies, delivering up to 10x the performance without refrigerants, pumps, or significant energy input.

未来在构建可持续能源的问题上，有两个关键因素：能源生产与能源需求。尽管大部分注意力都集中在生产更多清洁能源上，但在降低能耗方面同样存在巨大潜力，尤其是暖通空调系统，这类系统仍是全球最大的能源消耗源之一。

When it comes to building a sustainable energy future, there are two sides to the equation: generationand demand. While most of the attention has been placed on producing more clean power, there’s an equally powerful opportunity in reducing consumption—particularly in HVAC systems, which remain among the largest energy consumers on the planet.

从全球来看，暖通系统每年耗能约14,000TWh，占全球能耗的12%。根据美国能源署信息（EIA），在美国，暖通系统的能耗占比甚至更高，超过13%。与此同时，对于气候的影响也同样巨大：预估暖通系统每年排放5亿吨二氧化碳，占全球能源相关排放量的10%。

Globally,HVAC systems consume approximately 14,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy per year, accounting for 12% of worldwide final energy use. In the United States, HVACs’ share climbs even higher, to more than 13%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The climate impact is just as substantial: HVAC is responsible for an estimated 5 gigatons of CO₂ emissions annually, or more than 10% of global energy-related emissions.

随着能源成本不断上涨、电网波动性日益加剧，实现积极可持续性发展目标的压力逐渐增加，越来越多的建筑运营商正重新评估其机械系统的效率。虽然在某些领域，传统意义上的系统升级有助于减少能耗。但一种新的创新浪潮正在将人们的焦点从“如何使用更少的电力运行冷却系统？”转移到“有更好的制冷方式吗？”的基本问题上。

With rising energy costs, growing grid volatility,and mounting pressure to meet aggressive sustainability goals, building operators are increasingly reevaluating the efficiency of their mechanical systems. While traditional upgrades have helped reduce energy use at the margins, a new wave of innovation is shifting the focus from “How can we use less power to operate cooling systems?” to a more fundamental question: “Is there a better way to cool altogether?”

一项新兴技术或能提供极具吸引力的替代方案。该绿色制冷系统由在热力学和传热学领域拥有30多年经验的机械工程师大卫・萨特勒研发，采用了一种从根本上截然不同的思路。它摒弃了传统暖通空调系统中诸多高能耗组件，取而代之的是一种几乎无需用电即可运行的解决方案。

One emerging technology may offer a compelling alternative. Developed by David Sattler, a mechanical engineer with more than 30 years of experience in thermodynamics and heat transfer, this green cooling system takes a fundamentally different approach. It eliminates many of the most energy-intensive components found in conventional HVAC systems and replaces them with a solution that operates using virtually no electricity.

这个系统采用了一种定向的电磁场取代了传统制冷系统的冷凝器或冷却器，萨特勒称之为“力场”，该磁场作用于暖通系统的管道或板件上。它能让热量传递更容易，其作用原理类似空调机组里的制冷剂或冷却塔中的水，但传热速率更高，甚至能达到指数级水平。

Instead of relying on conventional condensers or chillers, the system applies a directed electromagnetic field—what Sattler refers to as a “force field”—to a pipe or plate within theHVAC system. This field facilitates heat transfer much like refrigerants in an air conditioner or water in a cooling tower, but at a significantly higher, even exponential rate.

萨特勒表示“现在，我们的目标是针对空调机组中高耗能的组件进行优化，从而显著提升现有设备的能效”。

“Right now, our goal is to make existingair conditioners dramatically more efficient by targeting their most wasteful components,” Sattler says.

在试验中，这种绿色空调的能效比（COP）达到了传统空调系统的10倍。从参考数据看，一个典型的商用空调系统运行能效比（COP）为3或4。能效比（COP）达到40意味着在效率方面有了颠覆性的改变。

In testing, thegreen A/C system achieved a Coefficient of Performance (COP) up to 10 times higher than conventional systems. For reference, a typical commercial air conditioning system might operate with a COP of 3 or 4. A COP of 40 represents a game-changing jump in efficiency.

重要的是，这并非一种 “拆换式” 的解决方案。该系统旨在改进现有空调系统的框架结构，通过增加一个辅助冷却步骤来释放压缩机的压力，进而提升整个系统的能效。

Importantly, this is not a “rip-and-replace” solution. The system is designed to retrofit into existing HVAC infrastructure, providing a complementary cooling step that relieves pressure on compressors and improves overall system efficiency.

萨特勒解释说：“我们可以完全取代蒸发器，或者只在上游增加我们的系统以分担部分热负荷，不管用哪种方式，它都能显著地减少能耗需求，降低运营成本。”

“We can replace the condenser altogether or simply add our system upstream to offload some of the thermal load,” Sattler explains. “Either way, it significantly reduces energy demandsand lowers operating costs.”

尤其当设备运营商面临水电费用上涨的压力时，这种节能方案的潜力会显得尤为巨大。根据萨特勒所说，把该系统集成到现有的空调系统中能够降低能耗50%或更多，其投资回收期只有三到五年。

The potential savings are substantial, especially for facility operators facing escalating utility bills. According to Sattler, integrating the system into an existingHVAC setup could reduce energy consumption by 50% or more, with a projected payback period of just three to five years.

对于那些以制冷机和冷却塔为主要能耗来源的大型商业园区或场所，比如医院、大学和数据中心，该系统具有更大的潜在价值。以医院为例，由于手术室的循环空气使用受到限制，其冷冻水系统往往需要持续运行，因此对节能方案的需求更为迫切。

For large commercial campuses or facilities where chillersand cooling towers dominate the energy profile – such as hospitals, universities, and data centers – the potential value is even greater. In hospitals, for example, where recirculated air is restricted in surgical suites, chilled water systems often run continuously. Reducing the load on those systems could mean millions of dollars in savings over the lifetime of the equipment.

从宏观层面来看，它所带来的影响不容忽视。仅以美国为例，将暖通空调的能耗降低50%，每年便可减少约1350 TWh的能源消耗，大约相当于1亿个美国家庭的年用电量。从全球来看，类似的减排措施，不仅可以释放约7000 TWh的电能，还能每年减少20至30亿吨的CO₂排放，这减排量甚至超过了印度全年的碳排放量。

At the macro level, the implications are hard to ignore. A 50% reduction inHVAC energy use in the U.S. alone would eliminate an estimated 1,350 TWh of annual demand – roughly equivalent to the power consumption of more than 100 million American homes. Globally, a similar reduction could free up around 7,000 TWh and cut CO₂ emissions by 2 to 3 gigatons per year—more than the entire annual carbon footprint of India.

萨特勒补充道：“此系统的功能不仅限于冷却：通过转换系统极性，还能实现制热。因此，无需分别设置制冷和制热两种设备，只需切换开关，它便能作为热泵机组运行。”

“It is not just forcooling,” adds Sattler. “By reversing the polarity on our system, we can generate heat. So, you don’t need two machines. You just turn the switch, and you have a heat pump.”

Marstec 正在开发的这个绿色暖通空调系统的优势在于无需使用制冷剂。尽管暖通空调行业已花费数十年时间逐步淘汰R22和HFCs有害物质，但制冷剂的管理仍既昂贵又复杂。这项技术完全避开了这一难题。

Another key benefit of thegreen HVAC system under development by Marstecs is that it requires no refrigerants. As the HVAC industry continues its decades-long shift away from harmful substances like R-22 and HFCs, refrigerant management remains both costly and complex. This technology bypasses that entirely.

“制冷剂泄漏，压缩机故障，风机耗电。这些都是低效和易出故障的环节，” 萨特勒表示，“而我们专注于纯粹的热传递，无需水泵，无需压力循环，这就消除了基础设施运维团队日常面临的诸多麻烦。”

“Refrigerants leak. Compressors fail. Fans draw power. These are all points of inefficiency and failure,” Sattler says. “By focusing on pure thermal transfer – no pumps, no pressure cycles – we eliminate many of the headaches facility teams deal with every day.”

该系统仅需毫瓦级能量即可启动传热过程，而且由于它不依赖闭合电路或传统机械系统，因此它的电力负荷几乎可以忽略不计。这一特性不仅能进一步提升整栋建筑的能源效率，还能简化达成可持续发展目标的路径。

The system operates using only milliwatts of energy to activate the heat transfer process,and because it does not rely on a closed electrical circuit or conventional mechanical systems, its electrical load is virtually undetectable. This feature further enhances building-wide energy efficiency and simplifies the path to meeting sustainability targets.

尽管目前的重点完全放在改造应用上，但萨特勒对其长期潜力并不讳言。随着技术的进一步完善，这一技术最终有望取代整套暖通空调系统，彻底摒弃压缩机、冷凝器和制冷剂。

While the current focus is squarely on retrofit applications, Sattler isn’t shy about the long-term potential. With further refinement, the same technology could eventually replace entireHVAC systems, eliminating compressors, condensers, and refrigerants altogether.

目前该团队正在纽约搭建一套全新的全尺寸系统，并计划在得克萨斯农工大学及其他国家实验室进行独立的第三方测试。如果测试数据能够得到验证，不仅会影响绿色建筑设计，还将改变全球乃至更广泛领域的制冷方式，影响极为深远。

The team is currently building a new, full-scale system in New York with plans for independent third-party testing at institutions such as Texas A&Mand other national laboratories. If the data holds, the implications could be significant: not just for green building design, but for how cooling is approached across the planet… and potentially beyond.

萨特勒甚至提到该系统在太空领域的应用潜力，他指出，对于电力有限且热控至关重要的航天器、月球基地或火星殖民地而言，这套系统适用性极强。

Sattler even hints at space-based applications, noting the system’s suitability for spacecraft, lunar habitats, or Martian colonies where power is limitedand thermal control is mission-critical.

萨特勒总结道“下一场伟大的绿色能源革命，或许并非源于产生更多能源，而是从根本上减少能源的需求量。”

“The next greatgreen energy revolution may not come from generating more power,” Sattler concludes. “It may come from requiring less of it in the first place.

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