AN ELECTROCALORIC REFRIGERATOR

AN ADVANCED REFRIGERATOR/HEAT PUMP (R/HP) WILL BE DEVELOPED BASED ON THE ELECTROCALORIC EFFECT. THE PROJECT IS A SPINOFF OF RESEARCH ON PYROELECTRIC ENERGY GENERATION SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION AND DOE. THE ELECTROCALORIC SYSTEM WILL BE SMALLER AND LIGHTER THAN SIMILARLY RATED REFRIGERATORS BASEDON CONVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGY. OTHER ADVANTAGES THAT THE ELECTROCALORIC TECHNOLOGY OFFERS INCLUDE SAFETY, HIGH EFFICIENCY, HIGH RELIABILITY, LONG LIFE, AND NO CHLOROFLUOROCARBON RELEASE PROBLEMS. THE FIRST OBJECTIVE OFPHASE I IS TO OBTAIN DIRECT THERMODYNAMIC DATA ON A SPECIFICELECTROCALORIC MATERIAL RELATING TO REFRIGERATION AND HEAT PUMPING. THE REVERSIBLE ADIABATIC TEMPERATURE CHANGE INDUCED BY AN APPLIED ELECTRIC FIELD WILL BE MEASURED. THISQUANTITY, WHEN COMBINED WITH THE HEAT CAPACITY, WILL INDICATE THE AMOUNT OF HEAT THAT CAN BE REVERSIBLY ABSORBED FROM A THERMAL LOAD. THE SECOND OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I IS TO DESIGN AND ESTIMATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PHASE II ELECTROCALORIC R/HP.