Continuously operating elastocaloric cooling device based on shape memory alloys: development and realization

Abstract

Elastocaloric cooling based on NiTi exhibits an excellent cooling capability, due to the high specific latent heats activated by mechanical loading/unloading and the small required work input. The current funding period of the DFG Priority Program SPP 1599 focuses on the development and realization of a continuously operating elastocaloric cooling device. A novel mechanical loading concept and a novel bundle concept of thin SMA wires enable a thermodynamically optimized cooling process by utilizing a minimal amount of SMA material in a compact design space and high cooling capability. The versatile realization of the device allows the independent variation of process parameters, thermal boundary conditions, and material parameters. This work presents the design process from the development of the novel loading and heat exchange concept, the fluid management and the wire arrangement up to the fabrication and validation of an efficient continuously operating cooling device based on SMA.