An advanced refrigerator and/or heat pump based on the elasto-caloric effect of Nitinol is proposed. Nitinol (Nickel Titanium alloy developed at Naval Ordnance Laboratory) has one of most energetic solid-state phase transitions known. Nitinol has been widely studied for prime-mover heat engines, but not for refrigeration. The Nitinol technology offers safety, high efficiency, high reliability, long life and no chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) release problems. The objective of Phase I is to demonstrate refrigeration and heat pumping using Nitinol as the thermodynamically active medium and to design and to estimate the performance of the Phase II Nitinol refrigerator.In addition to refrigeration, heat pumping, and air conditioning systems, Nitinol materials are expected to convert low- temperature industrial waste heat into electrical energy economically with payback time of less than two years.elastocaloric, direct conversion, lightweight, compact refrigerationSTATUS: Phase I Only
