Solid State Heat Pumps

This research involves theoretical and experimental investigations of a novel thermoelastic effect which may be used in a completely solid state heat engine. By employing piezoelectric solids in a thermoelastic system, it may be possible to engineer a composite layered material which can use electricity to produce heat flow directly, or reversibly, to use heat to generate electricity. A composite thermo-elastic/piezoelectric material has the potential to be more efficient than the best thermoelectric device. Like material has the potential to be more efficient than the best thermoelectric device. Like a thermoelectric device, a completely solid state thermoelastic device would be more compact and robust (having no sliding parts, pressure seals, etc.) than a fluid-based heat engine. The size of a thermoeleastic device may span length scales from micrometers to centimeters, with the former having layers of nanoscale thickness. Such a span would encompass applications from microcooling electronics to personal air conditioning.