H-1 Features Engineering Research Center’s Artak Hambarian
< 1 min readYEREVAN, Armenia – The American University of Armenia (AUA)’s Engineering Research Center (ERC) was recently featured on H-1 public television network. Associate Director of the ERC, Artak Hamarian, was featured as he explained the Heat Recovery Ventilation Device (VHRD) that the center has been working on for some time now.
VHRD uses an air-to-air heat exchanger that allows for the use of energy from exhaust air to warm fresh inlet air in order to provide energy efficient ventilation according to hygiene standards. This could make a significant impact in the air quality of more than 90% of Armenian citizens. Currently, the hygiene norms for ventilation are violated en masse, and current construction code does not enforce the presence of appropriate ventilation systems. As a reasonably priced device that can be installed in every home without massive renovations, the VHRD has potential to become a very effective and popular solution.
The team at the ERC, through physical and mathematical modeling, has created five devices and is currently working on the 6th prototype. They have won the Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Program (STEP) “From Idea to Market” award organized by the Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF) in both 2012 and 2013.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.