Simulation of high-efficient elastocaloric cooling based on smart shape memory alloys

Forschungsthema/Bereich

Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics and related programs of study

Typ der Abschlussarbeit

Master

Startzeitpunkt

03.03.2025

Bewerbungsschluss

03.03.2025

Dauer der Arbeit

4-6 Months

Beschreibung

Currently, refrigeration and air conditioning currently account for 20% of global energy consumption and contribute to 7.8% of global carbon emissions. That amount is continuously ascending with rapid urbanization. Seeking efficient and decarbonized refrigeration technologies can make an important contribution to carbon neutrality goals.

Elastocaloric cooling is employing the solid refrigerants, such as shape memory alloys (SMAs) and polymers, which exhibit self-heating and -cooling in response to mechanical stress. Unlike conventional vapor-compression refrigeration, this technology eliminates the risk of hazardous refrigerant leakage and offers an eco-friendly, energy-efficient cooling solution. Regenerative elastocaloric cooling, utilizing active heat-transfer fluid periods, shows potential for delivering enhanced cooling power towards future commercialization. To achieve a significant system cooling power requires optimization across various aspects, including regenerator structures, system design, and operating parameters. Numerical modelling of active elastocaloric regenerators (AERs) is a powerful means to predicate the parameters of a cooling system and to guide the system design. In previous work, a 1D numerical model of AERs has been developed based on superelastic Ni-Ti alloys. The present work intends to extend the model to various porous structures and to include the other potential factors, such as hysteresis. The focus is on improving the existing model to optimize the operating parameters of the cooling system, including frequency, mass flow rate, porosity, and cooling performance evaluation.

This is a comprehensive project that offers the opportunity to study numerical calculation of heat transfer and to improve your programming skills, while also allowing you to validate your model in proof-of-concept setup. Additionally, it provides the potential for you to co-author conference and/or journal publications.

To carry out the work, the IMT has extensive state-of-the-art equipment (600 m² clean room, rapid prototyping processes such as 3D printing and laser cutting, assembly and joining technology laboratories, various metrological laboratories). Intensive support ensures that the work can be carried out within the given time frame.

Voraussetzung

Voraussetzungen an Studierende

• Your Tasks:
• • Investigate the SMA mechanical properties (phenomenological models of SMAs)
• • Improve the 1D numerical model for porous elastocaloric regenerators based on existing AER model codes (require MATLAB, thermodynamics background)
• • Optimize the AER operating parameters and evaluate its cooling performance
• • Comparison to the proof-of-concept of AERs

Studiengangsbereiche

• Ingenieurwissenschaften
  Elektrotechnik & Informationstechnik
  Maschinenbau
  Mechanical Engineering
  Energy Engineering and Management
• Naturwissenschaften und Technik
  Physik

Betreuung

Titel, Vorname, Name

Dr. Kun Wang

Organisationseinheit

Institute of Microstructure Technology, IMT

E-Mail Adresse

kun.wang@kit.edu

Link zur eigenen Homepage/Personenseite

Website

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E-Mail Adresse für die Bewerbung
Senden Sie die oben genannten Bewerbungsunterlagen bitte per Mail an kun.wang@kit.edu


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