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Is The End Of Air Conditioning Near? Researchers From Hong Kong Develop A New Cooling System That Promises To Be The Future Of Sustainability And Efficiency.
Amid the extreme heat we are experiencing, not just in Brazil but around the world, air conditioning has been one of humanity’s greatest inventions. As the heat rises, air conditioning kicks in. This situation becomes even more common outside the hottest season of the year, as extreme temperatures and heat waves are now a global reality, but a new cooling system from Hong Kong promises to bring the end of air conditioning.
Problems Caused By Traditional Air Conditioning
This continuous cycle tends to further increase global warming and, in addition to worsening the situation, raises the electricity bill at the end of the month. However, this may change soon. Researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a cooling system that promises to bring the end of air conditioning, being more efficient and sustainable.
According to the International Energy Agency, a French non-profit organization focused on energy efficiency, the amount of energy needed to cool homes and buildings is expected to more than double by 2050. This requires higher energy generation, which does not always come from clean sources.
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Air conditioning is not very friendly to the environment. In addition to the enormous energy consumption, the units use HFC refrigerant gases, which can heat the atmosphere much more than carbon dioxide when released. The result is not only air pollution but also a negative contribution to the greenhouse effect and the creation of heat islands (especially in cities).
Understand How The New Cooling System Works That Can Replace Air Conditioning
With this in mind, researchers have developed an elastocaloric cooling device, which, according to them, is 48% more efficient than previous cooling attempts, potentially bringing an end to air conditioning. To do this, it uses a completely different technology from air conditioning, eliminating the need for any gas that could be toxic to the environment.
The elastocaloric effect occurs when a solid material changes its shape reversibly under mechanical force (whether applied or removed). Due to this change, the material can cool or heat. This new cooling system was discovered in 1980 and applied by the team in a nickel-titanium device using materials that can change shape when cold and return to their original shape when heated.
According to the researchers, there are three alloys with various phase transition temperatures to operate at cold, intermediate, and hot ends, making it more sustainable and improving energy efficiency, meaning the bill decreases.
Is The End Of Air Conditioning Near?
Despite the advancements with this new cooling system, there is no forecast for the end of air conditioning. Other research involving elastocaloric devices is also underway around the world and is functioning. However, unlike the air conditioning we already know, these devices are not yet commercially available.
In an article published in Nature Energy, researchers highlight the advantages of the device, its efficiency and applications, which could even help electric car batteries perform better. The team is confident that in the future, this type of technology could be a sustainable and efficient solution in the market.
Another important initiative is from a French startup that has developed a more efficient alternative that promises to revolutionize the market. This new device does not use gases and eliminates the need for a bulky and cumbersome unit.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, the prototype consumes five times less energy than conventional systems. The device uses dew point cooling and water evaporation to cool the airflow extracted from the building and the air blown into the environment.
Falou, falou…….e deixou de falar!
Talvez a novidade seja apenas a mudança do elelemenri ser comprimido, pois os condicionadores de ar existente atualmente funcionam assim. O “compressor” comprime o gás e o libera em seguida permitindo sua expansão e consequente perda de temperatura, esfriando os dutos por onde passam o gás que esfriam o ar que passam em contato com esses dutos. É assim nos aparelhos de casa e dos carros.
De que adianta para o consumidor esse fala, fala, se não tem eficácia. Nada concreto, só especulação pra clicar e ganhar algo que nem sei o que! Matéria meia boca. Tô fora!!!