Electrocaloric heat transfer articles and systems

A heat transfer system, comprising

• a plurality of supported electrocaloric film segments arranged in a stack and connected to a frame;
• a working fluid flow path through the stack between adjacent electrocaloric film segments, said working fluid flow path in operative thermal communication with a heat sink and a heat source at opposite ends of the working fluid flow path;
• a plurality of electrodes arranged to generate an electric field in the electrocaloric film segments, and connected to a power source configured to selectively apply voltage to activate the electrodes in coordination with fluid flow along the working fluid flow path to transfer heat from the heat source to the heat sink, said heat transfer system further comprising a film stress management mechanism selected from:
• a change in electrocaloric film thickness from a first film thickness at a first location on an electrocaloric film segment to a second film thickness at a second location on the electrocaloric film segment, wherein the change in electrocaloric film thickness includes a continuous change in thickness from the first thickness to the second thickness, or wherein the first location is at an edge of an active area of the electrocaloric film and the second location is remote from said edge of the active area of the electrocaloric film;
• or
• an electrode comprising an electrically-conductive material on a surface portion of an electrocaloric film segment surface that includes a non-linear edge between the electrically-conductive surface portion and the electrocaloric film segment surface outside of the electrically conductive surface portion;
• or
• an electrocaloric film segment that includes an active area and a non-active area, and the non-active area is interposed between the frame and the active area to provide a separation between the active area and the frame of at least 10 times the thickness of the electrocaloric film;
• or
• an elastic interface between an electrocaloric film segment and the frame;
• or
• a movable or deformable frame component;
• or
• a reinforcing material disposed in or on an electrocaloric film segment or an electroctrode.