SUMMARY
Researchers in the UCLA Department of Materials Science and Engineering have developed an electrocaloric (EC) cooling device for compact applications, such as wearable electronics and implantables.
BACKGROUND
Solid-state cooling technologies are an ecofriendly alternative to vapor compression refrigeration technology for thermal management. Cooling based on the electrocaloric effect (ECE), which features direct electricity-utilization, is efficient, low cost, simple in setup, and feasible for use in applications at a compact-scale. Implementation for ECE, however, has been bottlenecked by low cooling potential (adiabatic temperature change, ∆TECE) and use of external, bulky mechanical pumps to circulate heat-transfer fluid. ECE cooling devices with large ∆TECE that do not require an external pump are needed for use in the thermal management of compact devices, such as wearable electronics.
INNOVATION
UCLA researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering have developed a compact, solid-state, multilayer electrocaloric cooling device. The device induces heat transfer in a cascade style, as distinct from the conventional system requiring pumping of heat-transfer fluid. Under a relatively low field of 60 MV/m, a four-layer cascade device has been successfully developed and tested to perform at the coefficient of performance of 9 with an active cooling power of 78.5 mW/cm2. In a no-load condition, the device can build up a ∆TECE of 8.7 K.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
- Compact cooling device
- Temperature management part for wearable electronics
- Temperature management part for medical implant
ADVANTAGES
- High cooling temperature span of up to 8.7 K
- High energy efficiency: 70% of energy recyclable
- Good cooling performance: coefficient of performance at 9 with active cooling power of 78.5 mW/cm2
RELATED MATERIALS
STATUS OF DEVELOPMENT
The device has been assembled and successfully demonstrated.