Researchers have demonstrated a solid-state elastocaloric cooler using NiTi-based shape-memory alloys capable of reaching -12°C from room temperature in 15 minutes. The cascade design uses eight stages of thin-walled NiTi tubes, each mechanically stressed at 900 MPa by ceramic heads, with CaCl₂ as the heat-exchange fluid. This breakthrough overcomes the previous limitation of elastocaloric systems failing to reach sub-zero temperatures, opening potential for solid-state replacements of vapor-compression and Peltier cooling systems.
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