Researchers on the College of Engineering of the Hong Kong College of Science and Know-how (HKUST) have developed an eco-friendly refrigeration system with record-breaking cooling efficiency on this planet, setting to rework industries reliant on cooling and scale back international vitality use. With a lift in effectivity of over 48%, the brand new elastocaloric cooling know-how opens a promising avenue for accelerating the commercialization of this disruptive know-how and addressing the environmental challenges related to conventional cooling techniques.
Conventional vapor compression refrigeration know-how depends on refrigerants of excessive international warming potential. Strong-state elastocaloric refrigeration based mostly on latent warmth within the cyclic section transition of form reminiscence alloys (SMAs) gives an environmentally pleasant various, with its traits of greenhouse gas-free, 100% recyclable and energy-efficient SMA refrigerants. However the comparatively small temperature elevate between 20 and 50 Okay, which is a important efficiency indicator of the cooling system’s capacity to switch warmth from a low-temperature supply to a high-temperature sink, has hindered the commercialization of this rising know-how.
To beat the problem, the analysis group led by Prof. SUN Qingping and Prof. YAO Shuhuai from the Division of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering has developed a multi-material cascading elastocaloric cooling system manufactured from nickel-titanium (NiTi) form reminiscence alloys and broke the world document in its cooling efficiency.
They chose three NiTi alloys with totally different section transition temperatures to function on the chilly finish, intermediate finish, and scorching finish, respectively. By matching the working temperatures of every unit with the corresponding section transition temperatures, the general system’s superelastic temperature window was expanded to over 100 Okay and every NiTi unit operated inside its optimum temperature vary, considerably enhancing the cooling effectivity. The constructed multi-material cascading elastocaloric cooling system achieved a temperature elevate of 75 Okay on the water aspect, surpassing the earlier world document of fifty.6 Okay. Their analysis breakthrough, titled “A Multi-Materials Cascade Elastocaloric Cooling System for Giant Temperature Raise,” was not too long ago revealed in Nature Vitality, a prime journal within the area.
Constructing on the success in creating elastocaloric cooling supplies and architectures with many patents and papers revealed in main journals, the analysis group plans to additional develop high-performance form reminiscence alloys and gadgets for sub-zero elastocaloric cooling and high-temperature warmth pumping purposes. They’ll proceed to optimize materials properties and develop high-energy environment friendly refrigeration techniques to drive the commercialization of this revolutionary know-how.
House cooling and heating account for 20% of the world’s complete electrical energy consumption and, based on trade estimates, are projected to turn out to be the second-largest supply of worldwide electrical energy demand by 2050.
“Sooner or later, with the continual development of supplies science and mechanical engineering, we’re assured that elastocaloric refrigeration can present next-generation inexperienced and energy-efficient cooling and heating options to feed the large worldwide refrigeration market, addressing the pressing activity of decarbonization and international warming mitigation,” Prof. Solar mentioned.
The analysis work was carried out by Prof. Solar and Prof. Yao (each corresponding authors), Postdoctoral Analysis Affiliate and PhD graduate Dr. ZHOU Guoan (first creator), PhD pupil LI Zexi, PhD graduates ZHU Yuxiang and HUA Peng, in addition to a collaborator from Wuhan College.
