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Monday, August 02, 2010

Smart Metals for Solid-State Cooling Nix #Greenhouse Gases

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) careful formulations of common metals--like nickel and titanium--results in a solid-state cooling technology that could once-and-for-all eliminate that annoying compressor on your refrigerator and air-conditioner that keeps kicking on and off, on and off, ad nauseam. Look for silent, solid-state refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners within five years. RColinJohnson @NextGenLog


Smart metal runs pictured refrigeration system 175 percent more efficiently that conventional vapor compressor technology by virtue of "thermally elastic" metal alloy.

Here is what Smarter Technology says about solid-state refrigeration: The omnipresent whirring of the compressor on the refrigerator and air conditioner may soon be a thing of the past if a Department of Energy (DoE) effort successfully harnesses smart metals to enable solid-state cooling...The team is preparing a prototype refrigeration system based on a thermoelastic shape memory alloy (SMA)—a smart metal that, like refrigeration gases, gets cold when compressed but remembers its original shape when heated. This freon-free refrigeration system is estimated to be 175 percent more efficient than conventional vapor-compression systems. The new system could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 250 metric tons per year...
Full Text: http://bit.ly/NextGenLog-9j3O