Our research focuses on reducing the environmental impact of thermal systems through increasing their energy efficiency and supporting their utilization of environmentally-friendly working fluids. The majority of our work focuses on heat pumping, refrigeration, and waste-heat recovery technology in a broad array of applications and consists of both experimental and numerical analyses at the system, component and fluid levels. Ranging from interactions with the grid to the molecules which make up working fluids, our group will have a specific focus on the characterization and implementation of low-Global Warming Potential working fluids and the resulting impact on component design.

Riley Barta is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. His research area is thermal systems technology with a focus on the characterization and implementation of environmentally-friendly working fluids. The Barta Research Group is located at Purdue University’s Ray W. Herrick Laboratories and is closely associated with the Center for High Performance Buildings.