Elastocaloric system and method of operation

An elastocaloric cooling system, comprising:

• an elastocaloric material;
• a heat exchanger comprising a heat exchange surface;
• and
• an actuator operable in forward and reverse to cyclically drive the elastocaloric material against the heat exchange surface to reciprocatingly cause strain within the elastocaloric material creating repeated first phase transformations in the elastocaloric material,
• wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer exothermic latent heat emitted from the elastocaloric material due to the first phase transformations, and
• wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer endothermic latent heat from an ambient environment adjacent to the elastocaloric material when the actuator is operated in reverse.

A heat exchanger system, comprising:

• a thermoelastic material;
• and
• a reciprocating mechanism configured to generate stress in the thermoelastic material to create a periodic solid-to-solid phase transformation in the thermoelastic material,
• wherein a first phase transformation causes exothermic heat transfer from the thermoelastic material while stress is generated, and
• wherein a second phase transformation causes endothermic heat transfer to the thermoelastic material after the stress is decreased.