British scientists are hoping to replace chemicals used in modern cooling systems with more environmentally-friendly materials that change temperature with the application of electricity.
Known as the electrocaloric effect, previous research from 2006 has shown that the phenomenon can be used in cooling applications.
According to researchers at the National Physical Laboratory and Imperial College, the decision to develop an electrocaloric cooler comes from a desire to replace conventional refrigeration systems, which use compressed gas converted into a liquid to absorb and remove heat. These systems offer a low efficiency and use chemicals that often harmful to the environment if they leak or are disposed of improperly. In addition, other cooling systems expose materials to magnetic fields to induce a cooling effect are available, but these systems require large and expensive equipment.
In contrast, an electrocaloric cooler “could potentially deliver higher efficiency than vapor compression, as the creation of an electric field requires less energy than the compression process to create the same level of cooling,” Maciej Rokosz, a Ph.D. student at NPL and Imperial College, said. “It could also offer reduced size and weight, making it viable for applications like cooling electronics.”
While the researchers are declining to reveal what methods and materials they plan to use to develop the cooler, a range of designs is expected to be considered.
“We are confident that our design ideas, combined with the expertise we have at NPL and Imperial, will be able to develop a viable cooler,” lead researcher Tatiana Correia told The Engineer by email. “However, we are still very keen to hear from industry who can work with us to look at the different applications this could be applied to.”
