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Making cold from natural rubber: a low-cost and environment friendly refrigeration alternative

Research Project

Project/Area Number 19K04230
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 19020:Thermal engineering-related
Research InstitutionTohoku University

Principal Investigator

SEBALD Gael  東北大学, 高等研究機構等, 客員教授 (10792161)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 小宮 敦樹  東北大学, 流体科学研究所, 教授 (60371142)
Project Period (FY) 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Keywordsrefrigeration / rubber / elastomer / regenerative / solid-state cooling / natural rubber / Refrigeration
Outline of Research at the Start

The objective is to develop a proof of concept solid-state refrigeration device using natural rubber (phase transition under stress). For the next generation of refrigeration systems, flexible and low-cost elastomer as caloric material and flow control for enhancing heat transfers are investigated.

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to make a refrigeration device from a so-called caloric material like natural rubber, it is necessary to convert time variations of temperature into a spatial gradient. To do so, the project focused on regenerative systems, where a fluid moves cyclically in contact to the rubber when it is cyclically stretched and unstretched. The complex heat and mass transport was solved analytical, leading to figures of merit from materials properties and geometry. The nature of the flow plays an important role, and the impact of the frequency and velocity was assessed. The importance of the heat transfer between the fluid and the rubber was quantified, and the low thermal conductivity impact on the performance was discussed. Finally, a functional heat pump prototype was developed which proved that natural rubber is a valuable candidate for next generation refrigeration systems. A prototype of 10g of natural rubber showed a temperature span of 7°C and a cooling power of 2W, with a COP>5.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

Current refrigeration systems uses refrigerant gases based on a tradeoff between environmental impact, toxicity, and performance. Alternatively, refrigeration using caloric materials may change this paradigm. Particularly, natural rubber is abundant, cheap, and environmentally friendly.

Report

(4 results)
  • 2021 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2020 Research-status Report
  • 2019 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (9 results)

All 2022 2021 2020 2019 Other

All Int'l Joint Research (2 results) Journal Article (1 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results,  Peer Reviewed: 1 results) Presentation (5 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results,  Invited: 1 results) Patent(Industrial Property Rights) (1 results) (of which Overseas: 1 results)

  • [Int'l Joint Research] INSA Lyon/CETHIL Laboratory(フランス)

    • Related Report
      2020 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] INSA Lyon/LGEF Laboratory(フランス)

    • Related Report
      2020 Research-status Report
  • [Journal Article] Regenerative cooling using elastocaloric rubber: Analytical model and experiments2020

    • Author(s)
      Gael Sebald, Atsuki Komiya, Jacques Jay, Gildas Coativy, Laurent Lebrun
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Applied Physics

      Volume: 127 Issue: 9 Pages: 094903-094903

    • DOI

      10.1063/1.5132361

    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Modelling of regenerative cooling using elastocaloric elastomers2021

    • Author(s)
      Gael Sebald
    • Organizer
      Eurotherm Seminar #115 CALORIC HEATING AND COOLING
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] Effect of Fluid Flow on Heat Transfer in Elastocaloric Cooling Systems2021

    • Author(s)
      Way Sze Xuen
    • Organizer
      32nd International Symposium on Transport Phenomena
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] Elastocaloric Cooling Using Natural Rubber: Material Properties, Heat Transfer and Heat Losses Effects on Proof of Concept Performances2021

    • Author(s)
      Gael Sebald
    • Organizer
      18th International Conference on Flow Dynamics
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Elastocaloric Effect in Polymers2019

    • Author(s)
      Gael Sebald
    • Organizer
      Sixteenth International Conference on Flow Dynamics
    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Main key points for developing environmental friendly solid state cooling system based on the elastocaloric effect in rubber2019

    • Author(s)
      Gael Sebald
    • Organizer
      2020 European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) Fall Meeting
    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
  • [Patent(Industrial Property Rights)] REGENERATOR OF TEMPERATURE, HEAT PUMP INCLUDING SUCH A REGENERATOR AND METHOD OF IMPLEMENTING THEREOF2022

    • Inventor(s)
      Gael Sebald, Atsuki Komiya
    • Industrial Property Rights Holder
      東北大学, CNRS, INSA Lyon
    • Industrial Property Rights Type
      特許
    • Filing Date
      2022
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Overseas

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Published: 2019-04-18   Modified: 2023-01-30  

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