An electricity-free cooling system that could be deployed in data centers has been prototyped by researchers in Germany and Japan.
The team from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Tsukuba has developed the solid-state cooling system, which uses two ultra-thin shape-memory films to convert thermal energy into mechanical work and cooling power.
Solid-state cooling could be ready for the data center – KIT/Ella Maru Studio
According to researchers, the prototype is thought to be the first system of its kind to achieve this without an electric motor, and could open the door for more efficient data center cooling in the future. Cooling systems can account for up to 40 percent of a data center’s power bill.
Elastocaloric solid-state cooling is an alternative to traditional cooling systems that utilizes semiconductor materials known as shape-memory alloys. When a mechanical load is applied to the chosen material, its crystal structure changes, making it heat up. Removing the mechanical load allows the material to snap back into its original structure and cool down. Past versions of this type of system have required an electric motor to generate the force required to get the process going, meaning it couldn’t directly use waste heat.
