Heat-driven elastocaloric cooling with shape memory films

IF 70.1 1区材料科学 Q1 ENERGY & FUELS

Nature Energy Pub Date : 2026-08-28 DOI:10.1038/s41560-026-02122-6

Yi-Ting Hsiau, Shuichi Miyazaki, Manfred Kohl, Jingyuan Xu

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Efficient thermal management is critical for next-generation energy systems. Elastocaloric cooling with shape memory alloy (SMA) films offers rapid heat transfer, high specific cooling capacity and simple solid–solid heat exchange, but current devices rely on bulky, electrically powered actuators that limit scalability and efficiency. Here we demonstrate a thermally powered shape memory actuator that drives elastocaloric cooling in tailored SMA films, establishing a heat-driven cooling system that can use waste heat or solar thermal energy with reduced electricity demand. Our prototype achieves a temperature span of 12.9 K at the refrigerant film level and 4.0 K at the device level under Joule-heated actuation at 86 °C. When driven by an external heat source, the system maintains a device-level temperature span of 2.2 K, confirming the feasibility of heat-driven elastocaloric cooling. These results mark a step towards electricity-minimized elastocaloric cooling technologies that transform heat into useful cooling.

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具有形状记忆膜的热驱动弹性热冷却

高效的热管理对下一代能源系统至关重要。具有形状记忆合金（SMA）薄膜的弹性热冷却具有快速传热、高比冷却能力和简单的固-固热交换，但目前的设备依赖于笨重的电动执行器，限制了可扩展性和效率。在这里，我们展示了一种热驱动形状记忆驱动器，它驱动定制SMA薄膜的弹性热冷却，建立了一种热驱动冷却系统，可以利用废热或太阳能热能，减少电力需求。我们的原型在86°C的焦耳加热驱动下，在制冷剂膜水平达到12.9 K，在器件水平达到4.0 K。当由外部热源驱动时，系统保持2.2 K的器件级温度范围，证实了热驱动弹性热冷却的可行性。这些结果标志着向电能最小化弹性热冷却技术迈出了一步，这种技术可以将热量转化为有用的冷却。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Nature Energy Energy-Energy Engineering and Power Technology

CiteScore

75.10

自引率

1.10%

发文量

193

期刊介绍： Nature Energy is a monthly, online-only journal committed to showcasing the most impactful research on energy, covering everything from its generation and distribution to the societal implications of energy technologies and policies. With a focus on exploring all facets of the ongoing energy discourse, Nature Energy delves into topics such as energy generation, storage, distribution, management, and the societal impacts of energy technologies and policies. Emphasizing studies that push the boundaries of knowledge and contribute to the development of next-generation solutions, the journal serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas among stakeholders at the forefront of the energy sector. Maintaining the hallmark standards of the Nature brand, Nature Energy boasts a dedicated team of professional editors, a rigorous peer-review process, meticulous copy-editing and production, rapid publication times, and editorial independence. In addition to original research articles, Nature Energy also publishes a range of content types, including Comments, Perspectives, Reviews, News & Views, Features, and Correspondence, covering a diverse array of disciplines relevant to the field of energy.