Scientists claim elastocaloric cooling breakthrough

HONG KONG: Scientists claim to have developed what is said to be the world’s first zero-degradation elastocaloric cooling device.

Powered by a fatigue-resistant, solid-state refrigerant, this innovation is said to deliver durable and green cooling, maintaining its stable performance even over one million operational cycles.

The development team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) claims that the breakthrough will usher in highly efficient eco-friendly cooling, driving progress towards sustainable global development.

Elastocaloric cooling, which is based on the reversible stress-induced phase transformation of shape memory alloys, offers a promising green alternative to traditional refrigeration. However commercialisation has been impeded by performance degradation and low reliability.

The prevalent use of commercial NiTi shape memory alloys as the refrigerant in most existing elastocaloric cooling devices is seen as a key challenge. This material is prone to functional fatigue, causing its cooling power to decline over extended use.