A Preliminary Investigation on Designing of the Novel and First Italian elastoCaloric Device

Abstract

The vapor compression used in refrigeration is responsible for about one-fifth of the world's energy consumption. One of the most promising alternatives is elastoCaloric refrigeration, which is gradually gaining acceptance in the scientific community. The fundamental element of elastoCaloric refrigeration is the shape memory alloy (SMA) which is capable of absorbing/releasing heat when subjected to stress cycles due to the transformation process of the martensitic phase. Their mechanical properties allow them to return to their initial shape once the load is removed. To date, there are a minimal number of prototypes of high-calorie chillers, and these are still far from the large-scale industrialization process. The preliminary stages for the design and development of the first energy-efficient chiller were presented in this work. The goal is to create a rotary prototype in collaboration with the University of Naples "Federico II", the University of Genoa, and the National Research Council that can represent a fundamental step towards new innovative techniques for refrigeration.