A new technology (developed in Germany and Europe) uses shape-memory metals that heat up when stretched and cool down when released. This cooling effect would make refrigerators and air conditioners much more efficient.
A new technology (developed in Germany and Europe) uses shape-memory metals that heat up when stretched and cool down when released. This cooling effect would make refrigerators and air conditioners much more efficient.
I think I’ve seen demos on YouTube of rubber bands being used like this for cooling. Obviously not a lot, just enough for demonstration of the physical phenomenon. Would be interesting if it actually works effectively.
I have doubts that it’s significantly (or at all) more efficient than current refrigeration solutions. Seems like they’re emphasizing that it’s leak-proof, since it doesn’t use a gas refrigerant. That’s certainly a notable benefit, but I don’t know how common leakage really is in fridges and ACs.
Either way, cool development. I’ll leave it to the scientists to work out the truth.
My gut feeling is that almost all of them will leak at least once during their service life, simply because that’s the failure that causes them to be replaced.
The exception might be automobile ACs, where the vehicle itself gets totaled or suffers some other failure before the AC has a chance to go. But even then, I don’t know how diligent junkyards are about recovering the refrigerant.
When it does happen, it can be VERY expensive to replace the refrigerant. When my evaporator died last year, I was happy that it was under warranty, which covered the $2000 part, but I was unhappy to learn that it DIDNT cover the $3500 of refrigerant that leaked out.