A cascade electrocaloric cooling device for large temperature lift

Meng, Yuan; Zhang, Ziyang; Wu, Hao; Wu, Ruiyi; Wu, Jianghan; Wang, Haolun; Pei, Qibing

doi:10.1038/s41560-020-00715-3

Cited by 126 publications

(120 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Looking for an alternative to the almost exclusively used vapor compression system is a crucial technological challenge as one needs to suppress the use of greenhouse gases and improve energy efficiency as much as possible 2 , 3 . Recent findings have demonstrated that electrocaloric (EC) devices represent a more and more credible alternative 4 – 6 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Giant electrocaloric materials energy efficiency in highly ordered lead scandium tantalate

et al. 2021

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Electrocaloric materials are promising working bodies for caloric-based technologies, suggested as an efficient alternative to the vapor compression systems. However, their materials efficiency defined as the ratio of the exchangeable electrocaloric heat to the work needed to trigger this heat remains unknown. Here, we show by direct measurements of heat and electrical work that a highly ordered bulk lead scandium tantalate can exchange more than a hundred times more electrocaloric heat than the work needed to trigger it. Besides, our material exhibits a maximum adiabatic temperature change of 3.7 K at an electric field of 40 kV cm−1. These features are strong assets in favor of electrocaloric materials for future cooling devices.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Giant electrocaloric materials energy efficiency in highly ordered lead scandium tantalate

et al. 2021

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“…There are many promising electrocaloric materials both in the ceramic group because of their giant electrocaloric effect shown and both among polymers and polymer nanocomposites also due to their capability of being flexible. This last property could lead to the development of revolutionary prototypes completely based on new conceptions like the one proposed by Ma et al [86] and Meng et al [87]. In our opinion, their idea could be the way to develop competitive systems able to cool the electronic circuits or the batteries.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…In 2020 the same research group proposed a novel version [87] of the electrocaloric prototype based on electrostatic actuation where multiple units of electrocaloric sheets, to enhance the achievable maximum temperature span and to allow the heat flux to flow continuously from the heat source to the heat sink. The device formed by four cascaded layers of electrocaloric elements reaches 8.7 K as maximum temperature span under no load condition, whereas 9 is the COP calculated under 2.4 as ∆T and 10.4 at zero temperature span.…”

Section: Experimental Devicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrocaloric Cooling: A Review of the Thermodynamic Cycles, Materials, Models, and Devices

Greco

Masselli

2020

Magnetochemistry

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Electrocaloric is a novel emerging not-in-kind cooling technology based on solid-state materials exhibiting the electrocaloric effect, i.e., the property of changing their temperature because of an adiabatic change in the intensity of the electric field applied. This technology has only attracted the interests of the scientific community in the last two decades, even though it has the main feature of being based on eco-friendly materials that, because of their solid-state nature, do not provide a direct contribution in global warming. Even if some steps have already been taken, the research fields connected to electrocaloric cooling are still open: The identification of the most appropriated thermodynamic cycle, electrocaloric refrigerants, as well as the development of efficient cooling systems. To this purpose, this review paper provides a snapshot of the electrocaloric world and compares the progress made by the inherent scientific community in all the connected fields: the thermodynamic cycles, materials, experimental devices, numerical models, energy performances and prospective cooling applications.

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“…Recently, flexible caloric films paved the way to an alternative paradigm. In the new generation of energy transducers, based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) electrocaloric and natural-rubber elastocaloric materials [45][46][47][48], regeneration is replaced by a cascade of devices, whereas heat transfer is dealt with through solid-solid direct contact, making heat exchange fluid and the pumps redundant.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetocaloric Effect in Flexible, Free-Standing Gadolinium Thick Films for Energy Conversion Applications

Zheng

Becerra

et al. 2021

Phys. Rev. Applied

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This study presents a method of producing thick (i.e., in the μm range) polycrystalline Gd free-standing flexible films. Preparation is carried out by sputtering on silicon conventional substrates using tantalum as a buffer and capping layer. Magnetic and magnetocaloric properties show good agreement with data from high-purity bulk Gd, and are not altered by substrate removal. Moreover, the free-standing film is flexible and all the relevant magnetic properties (i.e., Curie temperature T c , saturation magnetization M s , and isothermal entropy change S) are preserved under bending (up to a ε = ±0.78% strain over the two film sides). The technological opportunities heralded by availability of magnetocaloric flexible self-sustaining films are discussed in the conclusions with particular focus on energy-conversion applications (i.e., cooling and thermal energy harvesting). More precisely, the output-power upper bound of an thermal-energy harvester deploying a Gd flexible film with the reported properties is worked-out using a thermal switch model presented elsewhere. The calculations show a potential output able to supply the new generation of IoT wireless devices as well as small medical implants. The result moot Gd free-standing flexible films as a benchmark for a new generation of small high-throughput magnetocaloric energy-conversion devices.

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A cascade electrocaloric cooling device for large temperature lift

Cited by 126 publications

References 32 publications

Giant electrocaloric materials energy efficiency in highly ordered lead scandium tantalate

Giant electrocaloric materials energy efficiency in highly ordered lead scandium tantalate

Electrocaloric Cooling: A Review of the Thermodynamic Cycles, Materials, Models, and Devices

Magnetocaloric Effect in Flexible, Free-Standing Gadolinium Thick Films for Energy Conversion Applications

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