Continuous operating elastocaloric air-cooling device

Abstract

<p>Elastocaloric cooling has shown significant potential as an alternative to traditional vapor-compression technology because it relies on nonflammable, non-toxic, and zero-global warming potential solid refrigerants (usually NiTi and TiNi-based shape memory alloys). However, the uniaxial loading mode commonly used in existing elastocaloric cooling devices is often accompanied by a lower operating frequency. Additionally, using water as the heat exchange medium presents challenges in further cooling the air with cold water. These issues will hinder the application of this type of refrigerators in space cooling scenarios. Here, we report a continuous operating tension-based elastocaloric air-cooling device that utilizes the bundles of NiTi wires. The driving mode based on the cam structure realizes the alternating loading-unloading cycle of multiple NiTi bundles, facilitating continuous the cooling process. Our air-cooling device achieves a temperature decrease of 4.4 �� in continuous air flow and provides a cooling power of 21 W. These results demonstrate the possibility of applying elastocaloric technology in space cooling and provide a technical reference for designing household air conditioners using this technology.</p>