NIST Presents Slichter Award to Didion, Domanksi and Kedzierski for Work with U.S. Refrigeration Industry

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has presented the William P. Slichter Award to David A. Didion, Piotr A. Domanski and Mark A. Kedzierski of NIST's Building and Fire Research Laboratory. The Slichter Award, established in 1992, recognizes outstanding achievements by NIST staff in building or strengthening ties between NIST and industry.

Didion, Domanski and Kedzierski were recognized for their work with the U.S. refrigeration industry to find alternative refrigerants to the chlorofluorocarbons that have been banned from production by international treaty.

The NIST mechanical engineers' collaboration included work with the largest U.S. water chiller manufacturer to develop software for design of chillers with the new refrigerants. They also assisted the two largest industry suppliers of evaporator and condenser heat exchangers design enhanced heat exchanger surfaces for the new refrigerants.

In addition, the trio worked in the NIST laboratories with a guest researcher from the refrigeration industry to identify and test new refrigerants. Finally, the team served as the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute's only outside consultants during a major industry testing program for alternative refrigerants to CFCs.

Didion is a resident of CHEVERLY, Md.; Domanski, POTOMAC, Md.; and Kedzierski, CHARLESTOWN, W.Va.

As a non-regulatory agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, NIST promotes U.S. economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards.