A gift of BRGroup to Kaunas University of Technology
At the end of 2015, Baltic Refrigeration Group donated a heat pump model (a stand) to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design of Kaunas University of Technology.
Such an initiative was chosen not by chance since the University had not previously had a demonstration unit that could be used as a training tool during practical training. “We are grateful for the donated heat pump model. Basically, we use it for the study program “Thermal energy and technologies”, introducing students to the real principle of the operation of a heat pump/air conditioner, the real elements of the system, the principles of control, including the function of hot-vapour defrosting,” told Professor Algimantas Balčius, the Associate Professor of the Heat and Atomic Energy Department about the application of the heat pump model in practice.
The idea of donating such an aggregate to the University came to the Director of Commerce Mindaugas Rutkauskas during one of the visits of students to the Company: “I saw how the students were interested in the available refrigeration unit; therefore there was a natural question whether University would not need such an aggregate? /.../ Kaunas University of Technology is the alma mater of many of us working at the Company. It is always nice to come back to this place, and it is even more fun when we have something to share and can contribute to the development of the studies of the University. We have more than 15 years of experience in the field of refrigeration, so we are pleased to be able to share our experience with others,” Mindaugas Rutkauskas shared his thoughts.
The refrigeration unit was designed by Mindaugas Kristanaitis, the Technical Director of BRGroup. The device was developed taking into account the educational value of the unit in the training process: “The aggregate is designed as to allow students to see how freon choking is performed in a capillary tube and a thermoregulation valve. We aimed to create the most versatile model, therefore it a model of a heat pump and refrigeration unit in one. Students may not only observe how the device works, but also engage by performing practical tasks, for example by drawing a schematic diagram,” noted M. Kristanaitis. Associate Professor Algimantas Balčius has also noticed the practical side of the heat pump model: “It is always more useful to see the devices and individual elements of the system in the teaching process, to “touch” them with your own hands, and especially, to test the system. Undoubtedly, this increases the quality of the studies. We may offer new laboratory tasks that are interesting for the students,” said Associate Professor A. Balčius.
The heat pump design (the stand) is located at the Heat Energy Laboratory (Chamber XII, Room 102) of the Centre of Laboratories of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design (MIDF) of Kaunas University of Technology. The training stand is mainly used in the undergraduate study process, for the following disciplines: Engineering Thermodynamics, Heat and Mass Exchanges, Heat Technology. The stand is used by the students of the study program “Heat Energy and Technology” and “Renewable Energy”.