Heterogeneous Electrocaloric Effect Heat Transfer Device
AssigneeEmpire Technology Development LLC
InventorEzekiel Kruglick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Technologies are generally described herein for electrocaloric effect heat transfer devices and methods effective to facilitate heat transfer over a wide operating temperature range of a corresponding heat source. Some example heat transfer devices may include multiple heat transfer stacks with at least two heat transfer stacks having electrocaloric effect materials with varying effective temperature ranges. The combined effective temperature ranges of the multiple heat transfer stacks encompass the operating temperature range of the heat source.
Claims24
A heat transfer device comprising:
- a first heat transfer stack, comprising:
- a first electrocaloric effect material having a first effective temperature range, and
- a first thermal rectifier arranged in thermal contact with the first electrocaloric effect material;
- and
- a second heat transfer stack positioned adjacent to the first heat transfer stack, comprising:
- a second electrocaloric effect material having a second effective temperature range that is different than the first effective temperature range, and
- a second thermal rectifier arranged in thermal contact with the second electrocaloric effect material.
A method for transferring heat from a heat source at any temperature within an operating temperature range of the heat source, the method comprising:
- at a first temperature of the operating temperature range of the heat source, applying a first electric field across a first electrocaloric effect material of a first heat transfer stack that is arranged in thermal contact with the heat source;
- during application of the first electric field, transferring heat through a first thermal rectifier of the first heat transfer stack that is arranged in thermal contact with the heat source and the first electrocaloric effect material to a heat dump;
- at a second temperature of the operating temperature range of the heat source, applying a second electric field across a second electrocaloric effect material of a second heat transfer stack that is arranged in thermal contact with the heat source;
- and
- during application of the second electric field, transferring heat through a second thermal rectifier of the second heat transfer stack that is arranged in thermal contact with the heat source and the second electrocaloric effect material to the heat dump.
A heat transfer system, comprising:
- a plurality of heat transfer stacks arranged in an array having at least two heat transfer stacks with varying effective temperature ranges, each heat transfer stack comprising:
- an electrocaloric effect material,
- electrodes positioned effective to apply an electric field across the electrocaloric effect material, and
- a thermal rectifier arranged in thermal contact with the electrocaloric effect material;
- and
- a controller operative to selectively apply the electric field to a subset of the plurality of heat transfer stacks according to an operating temperature of a heat source that is arranged in thermal contact with the plurality of heat transfer stacks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.