Slovenian scientists develop clean cooling technology, replace toxic refrigerants
While traditional refrigerants rely on change of state from liquid to gas and visa versa to power cooling, solid materials like a nickel-titanium alloy only require mechanical stress to do so, offering a sustainable alternative.
Slovenian researchers are developing a new approach to cooling technology that offers a more sustainable way to stay cool in a warming world without relying on harmful refrigerants.
The vapor-compression technology used in most fridges and air conditioners is over a century old, relatively inefficient, and harmful to the environment. Although the most damaging refrigerants were banned in 1989, their replacements—hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—were found to have greenhouse gas effects thousands of times greater than Carbon dioxide.
I wonder if this is being used for cryptocurrency mining, to cool the miners?
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Now, scientist Jaka Tušek, assistant professor at University of Ljubljana’s faculty of mechanical engineering in Slovenia, and his team are testing a technology that is aimed at replacing toxic refrigerants with metal tubes. Tušek’s study is in extension to a EU research project titled SUPERCOOL which was conducted at the university from 2019 to 2023.
Outdated cooling systems come with a hidden climate cost
Tušek points out that if just 2.2 pounds of certain refrigerants escape into the atmosphere, the environmental impact is comparable to driving a car for about 18,600 miles. Because of this, hydrofluorocarbons are now being phased out. However, natural alternatives like ammonia and isobutane come with their own set of challenges, including toxicity, flammability, and reduced efficiency in hot climates.