Experts have created a new cooling system that does not require electricity

Experts from leading scientific centers in Germany and Japan have developed a fundamentally new cooling technology that does not require electric motors or traditional compressors. According to Ixbt.com, this innovative development allows for the direct conversion of thermal energy into cooling and could be used in various electronics and vehicles in the future. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports. This unique project is the result of the efforts of scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Tsukuba. Researchers note that this is the world's first solid-state elastocaloric cooling system, which operates directly on heat without the need for an additional power supply.

Mazkur noyob loyiha ortida Karlsrue texnologiya instituti (KIT) va Tsukuba universiteti olimlarining saʼy-harakatlari turibdi. Tadqiqotchilar taʼkidlashicha, bu dunyodagi ilk qattiq jismli elastokalorik sovitish tizimi boʻlib, u qoʻshimcha elektr taʼminotisiz, toʻgʻridan-toʻgʻri issiqlik evaziga faoliyat yuritish xususiyatiga ega.

How the system works

The core design of the revolutionary device consists of two ultra-thin films made of a nickel-titanium alloy with a memory effect. The first film is only 22 μm thick and acts as a heat engine. When heated, this part contracts, converting the available thermal energy into mechanical force.

The resulting mechanical force is used to stretch the second film, which is 26.5 μm thick. Made from a superelastic alloy, this second element is directly responsible for the cooling process. When the material is loaded and its structure changes, a sharp drop in temperature is observed.

Test results and future possibilities

During the experiment, the test prototype showed that heating the main drive part to 86 degrees allowed the temperature of the cooled object to drop by approximately 4 degrees. In the elastocaloric film itself, the temperature difference reached almost 13 degrees. Scientists note that the system maintained its full functionality even when the source temperature rose to 130 degrees.

Theoretically, elastocaloric cooling technology has the potential to reach up to 84 percent of the maximum possible efficiency. However, for now, this is just a prototype confirming the technology's capabilities in practice, and it cannot immediately replace standard household refrigerators or air conditioners.

In the future, researchers plan to significantly increase the system's power by combining several such films in parallel. Experts believe that this technology could play an important role in efficiently cooling processors (CPU) using their own waste heat and protecting the power electronics of electric vehicles from overheating.