2D thermo-fluidynamic rotary model of an elastocaloric cooling device: The energy performances

Elastocaloric cooling has been considered a promising solid-state technology for cooling and heat pumping among the alternatives to vapor compression, at room temperature range. The technology is based on elastocaloric effect that is a thermophysical phenomenon occurring in materials like Shape Memory Alloys (SMA). The effect is detectable as a temperature change in the material if adiabatically subjected to a forcing field of mechanical nature. The latter provokes to the materials a stress that can derive from tension, compression, bending, torsion solicitations. As a result, the SMA experiments a structural phase change from austenite to martensite (coupled with heat addition) and temperature rise. Dually when the stress is removed, the SMA releases heat with a temperature decrease. In this paper the SUSSTAIN-EL rotary elastocaloric heat pump has been deeply investigated to test the energy performances while it works on open loop and closed loop, through a 2D numerical model based on the finite element method, for cooling and heating operation modes. The device employs a binary NiTi SMA as elastocaloric refrigerant and air as heat transfer medium. A wide set of working conditions has been considered like variable inlet mass flow rate, rotation frequency and thermal loads. The acquired results demonstrate that, both in open and closed loop, the prototype’s energy performances are promising and highly favourable for the intended macroscale collocation of the device.