Imagine a cooling system that works like a sponge for heat, but instead of using noisy compressors and harmful gases, it uses special plastics that change temperature when you plug them into electricity. By flipping an electric switch, these materials can pull heat away from a room or a fridge. It is a cleaner, quieter way to keep things cold without the environmental cost of traditional air conditioning.
Current cooling systems rely on 150-year-old vapor-compression technology that uses greenhouse gases and wastes roughly 50% of the energy it consumes.
The project is developing electrocaloric polymer-based cooling modules (multilayer capacitors) and electronic energy recovery circuits to create a 1 kW cooling system.
If you are an AC manufacturer dealing with rising energy costs and greenhouse gas regulations — this project developed a polymer-based cooling system that aims for 60% efficiency. This could replace old vapor-compression tech with a solid-state system reaching 1 kW of cooling power.
If you are a fridge brand dealing with the need for cleaner cooling principles — this project developed electrocaloric modules that can reach temperatures below 12°C. This allows for the creation of energy-efficient food preservation systems without using greenhouse gases.
If you are a thermal management company dealing with high-density heat loads — this project developed regenerative heat exchangers with a cooling power density of 5000 W kg-1. This provides a compact, high-power alternative to traditional liquid cooling.
Based on available project data, specific cost per unit or pricing models are not provided; the focus is currently on technical performance and efficiency.
Yes, the consortium includes KEMET, who is specifically tasked with preparing thousands of multilayer capacitors to assess scale-up capabilities.
Based on available project data, licensing terms are not specified, but the project involves a mix of industrial partners like Arkema and KEMET and research institutes.
The project aims for an efficiency of 60% of Carnot, whereas existing vapor-compression systems average around 50% efficiency.
The project runs from September 2024 to August 2031, suggesting a multi-year development cycle from research to proof-of-concept.
The consortium is highly balanced for commercialization, featuring a 50% industry ratio with 2 industrial partners (Arkema and KEMET) and 2 research/academic entities. This structure ensures that materials science (Arkema) and mass production capabilities (KEMET) are integrated from the start, reducing the gap between lab discovery and industrial application.
Contact the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
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