Margaret Heinemann, a Mechanical Engineering senior design student and TEAM Lab instructor, and her senior design group recently developed a test stand for a compressor with temperature controlled heat exchangers.
After interning at Sub-Zero, a Madison area appliance manufacturer, Heinemann became interested in refrigeration techniques. So when she was connected with the ME energy lab, she knew the daunting task was perfect for her.
In order to construct her test cart, Heinemann and her team built an insulated box for the heat exchangers. Then they went to work on connecting various lengths of tubing. While this may seem relatively simple, it was not without its challenges. Heinemann alone spent hours in the TEAM Lab, developing a brazing process, making tubing connections, and finally sealing the cart.
Her initial tests showed a well-performing test cart with no leaks. In the future, Heinemann may work to resize heat exchangers appropriately.
Since the creation of this project, Heinemann has graduated UW Madison. She will be taking two months off to travel the United States before starting a job in Design Engineering at Sub-Zero in Madison.
