Is the end of air conditioning near? Hong Kong researchers develop new cooling system that promises to be the future of sustainability and efficiency.
Amid the intense heat we are experiencing, not only in Brazil but all over the world, air conditioning has been one of the greatest inventions ever made by humanity. As the heat approaches, air conditioning comes into action. This situation becomes even more common outside the hottest season of the year, since extreme temperatures and heat waves are already a global reality, but a new cooling system from Hong Kong promises to bring an end to air conditioning.
Problems caused by traditional air conditioning
This continuous cycle tends to further increase global warming and, in addition to making the situation worse, increases the electricity bill at the end of the month. However, this may change soon. Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a cooling system that promises to bring an end to air conditioning, being more efficient and sustainable.
According to the International Energy Agency, a French non-profit organization that focuses on energy efficiency, the amount of energy needed to cool homes and buildings is expected to more than double by 2050. This requires more energy generation, which does not always come from clean sources.
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Air conditioning is not very environmentally friendly. In addition to the huge energy consumption, these devices use HFC refrigerant gases, which can heat up much more than carbon dioxide when released into the atmosphere. 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 they say is 48% more efficient than previous cooling attempts, potentially bringing an end to air conditioning. To do this, it uses totally different technology of 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 when subjected to mechanical force (either applied or removed). As a result of this change, the material can either cool down or heat up. 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 the cold, intermediate and hot ends, in addition to being more sustainable, energy efficiency was better, that is, the bill decreases.
Is the end of air conditioning near?
Despite the advances in this new cooling system, there is no sign of the end of air conditioning. Other research into elastocaloric devices is also underway around the world and is working. However, unlike the air conditioning we already know, these devices are not yet commercially available.
In a paper published in Nature Energy, the 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 on the market.
Another important initiative is a French startup, which 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 uncomfortable 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.