University of Birmingham to lead €3.63m sustainable cooling research network

UK – The University of Birmingham is to lead a €3.63 million EU-funded European doctoral network researching more efficient and sustainable cooling technologies.

The four-year SurPhase project will train 12 doctoral researchers and examine phase-change heat transfer across applications including heat pumps, refrigeration, electronics cooling and other energy technologies. It is due to begin in January 2027.

Improving heat-transfer performance

The research will examine ways to improve boiling and condensation performance, including through structured and porous surfaces, while supporting the move towards lower-global-warming-potential refrigerants.

For heat pumps and refrigeration, improved heat transfer could help reduce energy demand and increase system reliability.

Researchers will use surface engineering, artificial intelligence, numerical modelling and additive manufacturing, with work also covering durability, flow boiling and predictive maintenance.

By linking fundamental science with industrially relevant design, the network will help accelerate the development of more efficient, reliable and sustainable thermal technologies

Dr Ali Sadaghiani, University of Birmingham

European research and industry partnership

SurPhase is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network coordinated by the University of Birmingham.

Academic and industrial partners include Ericsson, Arçelik, Fraunhofer IFAM, Ansys and Hexxcell, with doctoral researchers undertaking international placements and industrial secondments.

The programme also covers batteries and telecommunications, giving the network a broader focus on improving thermal technologies across several sectors.