City, University of London and Howden secure grant from the Royal Academy of Engineering to develop novel energy efficient compression technologies

City, University of London’s Centre for Compressor Technology and Howden Compressors will embark on a 5-year collaborative project – Smart Efficient Compression, Reliability and Energy Targets (SECRET) – which is supported by an award from The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) and led by Howden Chair in Engineering Design and Compressor Technology, Professor Ahmed Kovacevic.

This partnership will specifically look at the effect of clearances and heat transfer dynamics within the compressor and the resultant reduction in losses and gains in efficiency.

The SECRET project is a continuation of the solid partnership between Howden and City, combining 30 years of Professor Ahmed Kovacevic’s research on screw compressors with Howdens market-leading technology, which is targeted at reducing leakages in rotating machinery by 20%, and improving the efficiency of oil free screw compressors by 2%, thus contributing to the European Union’s Global Net Zero CO2 emissions directive, which is line with the Paris Climate Change Agreement of 2015.