Electrocalorics

Electrocaloric energy conversion

Numerical model

State of the art

New solid-state cooling technology, particularly interesting for micro-cooling applications
It promises higher efficiencies and uses harmless, solid-state refrigerant

What do we do?

Development of electrocaloric regenerative devices
Measurements of electrocaloric effect and fatigue-life of electrocaloric elements
Development of electrocaloric micro-cooling devices

Electrocaloric cooling is based on the electrocaloric effect, which is a phenomenon where a material shows a reversible temperature change under an applied/removed electric field. The electrocaloric materials are ceramics or polymers, which are environmentally friendly. The main advantage of electrocaloric technology is that it does not require any moving parts, its operation is silent and without vibrations. The electrocaloric cooling elements are suitable for miniaturisation and thus have a great potential for cooling applications in a very wide market niches ranging from microelectronics, microrobotics to macro cooling devices in industrial and energy production processes and even aerospace technology.

Experts in the field

prof. dr. Andrej Kitanovski

dr. darja Gačnik

Recent publications

Recent papers
1. ŠADL, Matej, TOMC, Urban, URŠIČ NEMEVŠEK, Hana. Investigating the feasibility of preparing metal-ceramic multi-layered composites using only the aerosol-deposition technique. Materials, ISSN 1996-1944, Aug. 2021, vol. 14, iss. 16, pp. 4548-1-4548-10, ilustr. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/16/4548, doi: 10.3390/ma14164548
2. MASCHE, M., IANNICIELLO L., TUŠEK J., ENGELBRECHT K. Impact of hysteresis on caloric cooling performance. International Journal of Refrigeration, 121 (2021), 302-312. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2020.10.012
3. KALIZAN, Jan, TUŠEK, Jaka. Caloric Micro-Cooling: Numerical modelling and parametric investigation. Energy Conversion and Management. September 2020, vol. 225, 113421. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2020.113421
4. DEL DUCA, Manuel Gesù, TUŠEK, Jaka, MAIORINO, Angelo, FULANOVIĆ, Lovro, BRADEŠKO, Andraž, PLAZNIK, Uroš, MALIČ, Barbara, APREA, Ciro, KITANOVSKI, Andrej. Comprehensive evaluation of electrocaloric effect and fatigue behavior in the 0.9Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.1PbTiO3 bulk relaxor ferroelectric ceramic. Journal of Applied Physics, September 2020, vol 128, 104102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0003250
5. PLAZNIK, Uroš, VRABELJ, Marko, KUTNJAK, Zdravko, MALIČ, Barbara, ROŽIČ, Brigita, POREDOŠ, Alojz, KITANOVSKI, Andrej. Numerical modelling and experimental validation of a regenerative electrocaloric cooler. International journal of refrigeration. [Print ed.]. Feb. 2019, vol. 98, str. 139-149, ilustr. ISSN 0140-7007. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2018.10.029
- PLAZNIK, Uroš, KITANOVSKI, Andrej, ROŽIČ, Brigita, MALIČ, Barbara, URŠIČ NEMEVŠEK, Hana, DRNOVŠEK, Silvo, CILENŠEK, Jena,VRABELJ, Marko, POREDOŠ, Alojz, KUTNJAK, Zdravko. Bulk relaxor ferroelectric ceramics as a working body for an electrocaloric cooling device. Applied physics letters. [Print ed.]. 2015, vol. 106, nr. 4, str. 1-4, ilustr. ISSN 0003-6951. DOI: 10.1063/1.4907258
- PLAZNIK, Uroš, VRABELJ, Marko, KUTNJAK, Zdravko, MALIČ, Barbara, POREDOŠ, Alojz, KITANOVSKI, Andrej. Electrocaloric cooling: the importance of electric-energy recovery and heat regeneration. Europhysics letters : EPL. 2015, vol. 111, nr. 5, str. 57009-1-57009-6, ilustr. ISSN 0295-5075. DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/111/57009
- KITANOVSKI, Andrej, PLAZNIK, Uroš, TOMC, Urban, POREDOŠ, Alojz. Present and future caloric refrigeration and heat-pump technologies. International journal of refrigeration. [Print ed.]. Sept. 2015, vol. , str. 288-298, ilustr. ISSN 0140-7007, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2015.06.008.
- OŽBOLT, Marko, KITANOVSKI, Andrej, TUŠEK, Jaka, POREDOŠ, Alojz. Electrocaloric vs. magnetocaloric energy conversion. International journal of refrigeration. [Print ed.]. Jan. 2014, vol. 37, str. 16-27, ilustr. ISSN 0140-7007. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2013.07.001
- OŽBOLT, Marko, KITANOVSKI, Andrej, TUŠEK, Jaka, POREDOŠ, Alojz. Electrocaloric refrigeration : thermodynamics, state of theart and future perspectives. International journal of refrigeration. [Print ed.]. Apr. 2014, vol. 40, str. 174-188, ilustr. ISSN 0140-7007. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2013.11.007
Conferences
1. KITANOVSKI, Andrej. Thermal control elements for caloric technologies : 2020 virtual MRS Spring/Fall Meeting & Exhibit, November 27 – December 4, 2020
2. A regenerative electrocaloric cooling device : numerical modelling and experimental validation. Caloric materials for highly efficient cooling applications. MRS fall meeting, Boston, USA, November 25-30, 2018.
3. Relaxor ceramic refrigerant elements for a regenerative dielectric cooler. The 6th International Workshop on Relaxor Ferroelectrics, IWRF-2018, July 17-21, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
4. Caloricmaterials for new greener heat management technologies. Abstract book. 2nd International Material Sciences and Engineering for Green Energy Conference, MSEGEC 2018, April 25-27, 2018, Rabat.
5. Methods for enhanced and fast heat transfer in electrocalorics. 53rd International Conference on Microelectronics, Devices and Materials & the Workshop on Materials for Energy Conversionand their Applications: Electrocalorics and Thermoelectrics, October 4 – October 6, 2017, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
6. Perovskite relaxor multiferroics in novel dielectric cooling designs. Book of abstracts. IMF 2017, The Fourteenth International Meeting on Ferroelectricity, September 4th – 8th, 2017, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
7. Energy efficiency of electrocaloric cooling : material and cooling-system considerations. 2016 joint IEEE ISAF-ECAPD-PMF 2016. International Symposium on Applications of Ferroelectrics (ISAF), European Conference on the Applications of Polar Dielectrics(ECAPD), Workshop on Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PMF), August 21-25, 2016, Darmstadt, Germany. Darmstadt: Technische Univetität,2016.
8. Relaxor ferroelectric ceramics as a working body for an electrocaloric cooling devices. Electronic Materials and Applications 2016, [EMA 2016] : January 20-22, 2016 Orlando, FL : conference program. [S. l.]: The American Ceramic Society, 2016.
9. Bulk relaxor ferroelectric ceramics as working elements in an electrocaloric cooling device. Energy materials nanotechnology : program & abstracts : EMN Meeting on Ceramics, January 25-28, 2016, Hong Kong.
10. Bulk ceramics Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3−PbTiO3Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3−PbTiO3 as a working body for an electrocaloric cooling device. Materials challenges in alternative & renewable energy : conference program : April 17-21, 2016, Clearwater, Florida, USA.
11. Bulk relaxor ferroelectric ceramics as refrigerant elements in a dielectric cooling device. MS & T17, Materials Science & Technology : Technical Meeting and Exhibition, October 23-27, 2016, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
12. Heat transfer methods in electrocaloric cooling devices. Piezo 2015 : Electroceramics for End-Users VIII, 25-28 January 2015, Maribor, Slovenia .
13. Relaxor ceramics for new dielectric cooling technology. In: Technical meeting and exhibition : MS & T15, Materials Science & Technology 2015, October 4-8, 2015, Columbus, OH, USA.
14. Electrocaloric refrigeration and heat pumping : from theory to applications. In: ICR2015 : improving quality of life, preserving the Earth. The 24th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration, August 16 – 22, 2015, Yokohama, Japan.
15. Present and future solid state energy conversion technologies. ECOS 2015. 28th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems,Pau, France. Pau: Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 2015.
16. Recent developments in electrocaloric refrigeration. ECOS 2014. 27th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems,Turku, Finland, June 15-19, 2014. Turku: Åbo Akademi University, 2014. Str. 1-12, ilustr.
17. Small scale electrocaloric cooling devicewith an active heat regenerator. In: Thermag VI : proceedings. 6th International Conference on Magnetic Refrigeration, Victoria, BC, Sept 7-10, 2014.
18. Numerical study of an electrocaloric coolingdevice. IBook of abstracts. European Conference on Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Growth, Bled, 19. -21, September 2013. Nova Gorica: University, 2013.
19. New solid state refrigeration technologies. ECOS 2013. 26th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems,Guilin, 2013. Guilin: Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics, cop. 2013
20. The electrocaloric versus magnetocaloric energy conversion. 5th International Conference on Magnetic Refrigeration at Room Temperature, Grenoble, France, September 17-20, 2012 = 5e Conférence internationale sur le Froid magnétique à température ambiante, Grenoble, France, September 17-20, 2012. 5th International Conference on Magnetic Refrigeration at Room Temperature, Grenoble, France, September 17-20, 2012. Paris:International Institute of Refrigeration, 2012. Str. 397-404, ilustr. Thermag, 5.
Projects
1. Multicaloric cooling (2018-2021) (Slovenian research agency), PI: prof. dr. Hana Uršič Nevemšek (IJS): http://www.sicris.si/public/jqm/prj.aspx?lang=eng&opdescr=grpSearch&opt=2&subopt=400&code1=grp&code2=nameadvanced&psize=1&hits=1&page=1&count=&search_term=name=%20and%20sci=2%20and%20fil=13%20and%20sub=05&id=17298&slng=&order_by=
2. Advanced electrocaloric energy conversion (2016-2019) (Slovenian research agency), PI: prof. dr. Andrej Kitanovski: http://www.sicris.si/public/jqm/prj.aspx?lang=slv&opdescr=grpSearch&opt=2&subopt=400&code1=grp&code2=nameadvanced&psize=1&hits=1&page=1&count=&search_term=name=%20and%20sci=2%20and%20fil=13%20and%20sub=05&id=10051&slng=&order_by=
3. Micro-electromechanical and electrocaloric layer elements (2014-2017) (Slovenian research agency), PI: prof. dr. Barbara Malič (IJS): http://www.sicris.si/public/jqm/prj.aspx?lang=slv&opdescr=grpSearch&opt=2&subopt=400&code1=grp&code2=nameadvanced&psize=1&hits=1&page=1&count=&search_term=name=%20and%20sci=2%20and%20fil=13%20and%20sub=05&id=9335&slng=&order_by=
4. New electrocaloric materials for an environmentally friendly dielectric cooling technology (2014-2017) (Slovenian research agency), PI: prof. dr. Zdravko Kutnjak (IJS): http://www.sicris.si/public/jqm/prj.aspx?lang=slv&opdescr=grpSearch&opt=2&subopt=400&code1=grp&code2=nameadvanced&psize=1&hits=1&page=1&count=&search_term=name=%20and%20sci=2%20and%20fil=13%20and%20sub=05&id=9284&slng=&order_by=
Patents and patent applications

MALIČ, Barbara, URŠIČ NEMEVŠEK, Hana, KOSEC, Marija, DRNOVŠEK, Silvo, CILENŠEK, Jena, KUTNJAK, Zdravko, ROŽIČ, Brigita, FLISAR,Uroš, KITANOVSKI, Andrej, OŽBOLT, Marko, PLAZNIK, Uroš, POREDOŠ, Alojz, TOMC, Urban, TUŠEK, Jaka. Method for electrocaloric energy conversion : United States Patent US9915446 (B2), 2018-03-13. [S. l.]: Unated States Patent and Trademark Office, 2018. [16] f., ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 29642791] patentna družina: US2016187034 (A1), 2016-06-30; EP20130179000, 2013-08-01; EP3027980 (B1), 2017-10-18; EP3027980 (A1), 2016-06-08;CN105593616 (B), 2017-12-26; CN105593616 (A), 2016-05-18; PL3027980 (T3), 2018-04-30; WO2015014853 (A1), 2015-02-05