| Project/Area Number |
19K04230
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Review Section |
Basic Section 19020:Thermal engineering-related
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Tohoku 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)
|
|---|
| Keywords | refrigeration / 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.
|
