ELASTOCOOL
Prototype of elastocaloric cooling deviceToday’s refrigerators are based on the compression of fluorinated gases, which contribute heavily to the greenhouse effect when released into the atmosphere.
The rise of data centres and other technological facilities contributes to the growing demand for artificial cooling. In the coming years, this demand will intensify, mainly driven by climate change.
The cooling and heating markets account for up to 70% of the energy consumed worldwide.
Heating systems are highly dependent on fossil fuels.
Cooling systems use refrigerants with a high global warming potential.
Various regulations call for the elimination of the use of fluorinated gases..
The EU has issued strict regulations to phase out the use of F-gases, with a phasing out until they are completely extinguished.
According to the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol (2016), F-gases have to be completely phased out by 2028. Therefore, a large part of the current refrigerators will have to be replaced.
The availability of alternative cooling technologies, which do not involve the use of hazardous materials and are environmentally friendly, is a matter of urgency.
Heating and cooling technologies based on calorific materials are considered to be the best candidates for the replacement of fluorinated gases.
Elastocaloric materials can absorb and release heat when subjected to mechanical stress. There are several families that include a plurality of materials, such as metal alloys or polymers.
These materials have advantages compared to electrocaloric or magnetocaloric alternatives, such as the simplicity of applying a mechanical stress with respect to a large magnetic or electric field.
Our goal is to build a prototype for EC cooling based on natural rubber.
The rubber shows a crystallisation transition under very low values of applied stress, with excellent elasto-caloric properties. Samples can be easily produced in any geometry and allow modifications that can improve their mechanical and thermal properties.
ELASTOCOOL is researching for an innovative solution for more efficient cooling with simpler operation and reduced cost.
The ELASTOCOOL solution is gas-free. Rubber, the solid refrigerant, is not released into the atmosphere.
Rubber offers excellent physical properties for cooling and heating applications.
The ELASTOCOOL cooling system is a scalable solution and cheaper than other possibilities.
functionalmaterials@ub.edu
Project team
Eduard Vives Santa-Eulalia
Coordinator
Enric Stern Taulats
Entrepreneurial Scientist
Lluis Mañosa Carrera
Researcher
Emma Valdés Martín
Researcher
Featured Publications
Nicolas Candau, Adele Zimmy, Eduard Vives, Maria Lluïsa Maspoch
Elastocaloric Waste/Natural Rubber Materials with Various Crosslink Densities
Polymers 15, 2566 (2023)
Nicolas Candau, Eduard Vives, Ana Inés Fernández, Oguzhan Oguz, Guillaume Corvec, Carlos Eloy Federico, João Paulo Cosas Fernandes, Gregory Stoclet, Maria Lluïsa Maspoch.
Observation of heterogeneities in elastocaloric natural/wastes rubber composites.
Express Polymer Letters 16, 1331–1347 (2022)
Nicolas Candau, Eduard Vives, Ana Inés Fernández, Maria Lluïsa Maspoch.
Elastocaloric effect in vulcanized natural rubber and natural/wastes rubber blends.
Polymer 236, 124309 (2021)
