In a recent announcement of prestigious awards, two major projects led by teams from Tsinghua University's Institute for Carbon Neutrality and the Department of Energy and Power Engineering have received top-tier recognition.

The project “Mechanism of Shock Wave-Shear Layer Interaction in Supersonic Jets and Ejection Control Methods,” jointly completed with Xi'an Jiaotong University, was awarded the First Prize in Natural Sciences by the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics (CSET). This project was led by Academician Jiang Peixue, Chief Scientist of the Low-Carbon Energy and CCUS Research Center at Tsinghua's Institute for Carbon Neutrality, and Associate Professor Zhu Yinhai.

Simultaneously, the project “Key Technologies for High-Efficiency Low-Carbon Heating using Air-Source CO₂ Heat Pumps and Their Engineering Applications,” jointly completed with China Academy of Building Research Co., Ltd. and the Tsinghua Shanxi Clean Energy Research Institute, was honored with the Grand Prize (Special Award) for “Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Technology Invention” by the China Energy Conservation Association (CECA).

Addressing the key scientific challenge of shock wave-shear layer interference, the team led by Academician Jiang and Associate Professor Zhu established a novel theoretical framework for describing supersonic jet shock waves in confined spaces. They systematically revealed the evolution laws of shock waves and the underlying mechanisms of shock wave-shear layer interactions. Based on these findings, they proposed a multi-process flow control method leveraging ejection effects.

Translating theory into practice, the team developed high-performance ejectors and perfected an ejection-enhanced transcritical CO₂ heat pump cycle. They also established an optimal control method for compressor discharge pressure and invented a highly efficient heat pump technology featuring thermal storage for energy buffering and utilization. These innovations culminated in the development of transcritical CO₂ heat pump systems ranging from 10 to 300 kW.

The team's fundamental research has been published in leading academic journals such as the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Journal of Computational Physics, and Applied Energy. Their technologies have found successful applications in critical sectors including aerospace, refrigeration and heat pumps, and fuel cells.

The CSET Science and Technology Award recognizes outstanding contributions in basic research, technological invention, and innovative applications within the field of engineering thermophysics. This year, only four projects nationwide were awarded the First Prize in Natural Sciences, highlighting the exceptional quality of this work. The CECA Innovation Award honors entities and individuals who have achieved remarkable results in energy conservation and emission reduction research, technological innovation, industrial application, and process innovation. The project led by Tsinghua University was the sole recipient of the Grand Prize (Special Award) for Technology Invention this year, underscoring its pioneering role in advancing low-carbon heating solutions.