Tag Archives: Refrigerators

Innovative technologies can lower costs and improve sustainability of refrigerators | Technology

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A new technology application has been reported to potentially reduce costs and improve environmental friendliness of refrigerators.

In 2019, domestic refrigerators and freezers accounted for nearly 4% of global electricity consumption. One quote states that simply innovating to decrease power usage is no longer sufficient.

Research from Huazhong Science and Technology University suggests that thermal galvanic technology shows promise as a sustainable cooling alternative to the commonly-used steam compression technology in refrigerators.

According to the findings, “Thermal galvanic cooling offers an environmentally friendly solution with low carbon emissions, potentially contributing to carbon neutrality if widely adopted.”

The research also indicates that this technology can be applied across various sectors, from wearable cooling devices to industrial settings.

Duan mentions, “Thermal galvanic technology is making its way into our lives through efficient electricity or low-power cooling. Both the research and commercial communities should take note.”

Heat galvanic cells generate electricity from thermal energy produced by a chemical reaction. Researchers have found heat galvanic hydrogel that can aid in cooling mobile phone batteries while converting waste heat into electricity.

Optimizing the chemicals in the process has led to a 70% improvement in cooling efficiency of the galvanic cells.

The electricity used to power refrigerators, coupled with gas leaks from refrigeration units, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. In the UK, 50% of refrigeration-related emissions are from electricity usage, with 37% from household refrigerators.

Future research efforts will focus on enhancing system design and exploring additional commercial applications.

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Duan states, “Our advanced electrolytes have commercial potential, but further efforts are needed to enhance design, scalability, and stability for practical implementation of this technology.”

“Moving forward, we aim to enhance heat galvanic cooling performance through new mechanisms and advanced materials, along with developing various refrigerator prototypes for potential applications. Collaborations with companies are being pursued to promote the commercialization of heat galvanic technology.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Making Refrigerators More Sustainable with Crystal-based Cooling Technology

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Refrigerators and freezers typically derive their cooling power from environmentally harmful liquids.

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A new type of crystal could help refrigerators and air conditioners keep us cool without warming the planet.

Refrigerators and air conditioners obtain their cooling power by circulating liquid within the device. The liquid absorbs heat and causes cooling through cycles of evaporation and condensation. However, many such liquids contribute to the greenhouse effect and cause further warming if they leak. now, jenny pringle Researchers at Australia's Deakin University have created a climate-friendly alternative to these liquids using “plastic crystals” – crystals containing molecules that can move enough to make them flexible. Developed.

If enough pressure is applied, these plastic crystals can deform. Their molecules go from a random orientation to an ordered grid. Then, when the pressure is removed, they disturb again. As part of this disordering process, the crystals absorb heat, effectively cooling their surroundings.

Although pressure-based cooling like this has been studied before, most materials capable of making this transition can only do so at mild temperatures, limiting their cooling power, Pringle said. In contrast, her team's crystals exhibit their heat-absorbing ability at temperatures between -37°C (-34.6°F) and 10°C (50°F), a temperature suitable for home refrigerators and freezers. .

However, the new crystals are not yet ready to leave the lab. That's because the pressure required to make them work is so high, Pringle says, that it's hundreds of times greater than atmospheric pressure and equivalent to thousands of meters underwater.

david boldrin Researchers at the University of Glasgow in the UK said materials like the new study “have the potential to almost completely decarbonize this giant carbon”. [cooling] However, he shares concerns about the high pressure required.

He says there may be other practical problems with this approach. Bing Li At the Chinese Academy of Sciences. With each repeated use, the grid formed by the molecules becomes more distorted and each crystal absorbs less heat. Still, Lee said he was optimistic and believed the technology could be applied in the “near future.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com