ALTERNATIVE REFRIGERATION - Laboratory for refrigeration and district energy

Cool BatMan featured as M-ERA.NET Success Story

admin — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:40:49 +0000

The Cool BatMan project has been recognized as a Success Story by M-ERA.NET.

The project aimed to build a fundamental understanding of the dynamic thermal behavior of a compact cooling concept. It combines magnetocaloric materials, exploiting the magnetocaloric effect, with electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) digital microfluidics. The work included advanced microfabrication and new characterization approaches.

A key outcome is the demonstration that digital microfluidics, widely used in bioanalytical lab-on-a-chip systems, also has strong potential for thermal management at the mini- and microscale.

We thank our consortium partners: Jožef Stefan Institute, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, and the University of Barcelona. We also thank M-ERA.NET for the recognition.

Read the full success story here:
https://www.m-era.net/news/successtory_coolbatman

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High-temperature electrocaloric heat pump presented at the High-temperature heat pump symposium

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:56:23 +0000

Researchers from the Laboratory for Refrigeration and District Energy (LAHDE) have visited High-temperature heat pump symposium in Copenhagen, Danmark. The event offered an excellent overview of the latest research and industrial developments in high-temperature heat pumps, with many insightful discussions and opportunities to exchange perspectives with experts from industry and academia.

We were pleased to present our work on solid-state electrocaloric heat pump in the poster session and to receive valuable feedback that will support our ongoing research. Many thanks to the organizers for a well-structured and high-quality symposium, and to all colleagues for the engaging discussions.

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Ultra-high-temperature electrocaloric heat pump

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:01:01 +0000

Researchers from the Laboratory for Refrigeration and District Energy (LAHDE) have published first study on high-temperature electrocaloric heat pump in Journal of Energy conversion and management, one of the world’s leading scientific journal in the field of energy.

Nearly a quarter of waste heat is generated at temperatures exceeding 300 °C, yet conventional heat pump technologies remain inefficient in recovering and utilizing heat from such high temperature sources. In this study, we introduce a novel electrocaloric heat pump designed to operate with heat sources and sinks at ultra-high temperatures. The proposed heat pump system incorporates an active electrocaloric regenerator featuring PbZr_0.52Ti_0.48O₃ (PZT) epitaxial thin-film multilayers, which exhibit a superior electrocaloric adiabatic temperature change of 11.03 K at 402 °C (675 K), and pressurized helium gas as the working fluid. We conducted a parametric analysis to simulate the performance of the ultra-high-temperature electrocaloric heat pump and identified the optimal conditions for single- and multi-stage configurations. The single-stage setup achieved a maximum heating COP of 7.8 at a 30 K temperature span across the regenerator at a heat source temperature of 660 K. In comparison, the multi-stage configuration yielded the highest heating power 113.3 W/kg_EC and a max. COP 2.7 between 630 and 690 K. This study established a foundation for notable advancements in ultra-high-temperature heat pumps by employing electrocaloric energy conversion.

Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019689042501338X

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MAGCCINE – 1st annual meeting in Grenoble

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:19:37 +0000

The first annual meeting of the MAGCCINE consortium took place on 17 October 2025 in Grenoble. The event was hosted by the Institut Néel (CNRS), which, together with MagREEsource, provided excellent organization and a warm welcome to all participants.

The meeting offered an exceptional opportunity for project partners to present the achievements of the first year of collaboration, exchange ideas, and outline the next steps in the development of a vaccine cooler prototype based on the rotating magnetocaloric effect. At the heart of the event was collaboration: exchanging ideas, reviewing progress, and planning future activities between academic and industrial partners. The discussions were enriched by in-depth scientific exchanges on cooling, magnetism, and related innovations.

The meeting was further enhanced by contributions from Advisory Board members, including representatives of the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) and Tecnea – Cemafroid, who provided valuable insights into key issues related to innovation and standardisation in the field of cooling technologies.

The programme also included a visit to MagREEsource, a company specialising in sustainable development and the recycling of used magnets. Their production capacities, scientific approach to designing the entire recycling value chain, and their clear sustainability vision left a strong impression on all participants.

The first annual MAGCCINE consortium meeting inspired everyone involved and strengthened the shared sense of responsibility for further developing technologies with the potential to significantly contribute to more sustainable solutions for global cold chains.

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Visit of Prof. Xiaoshi Qian to LAHDE

admin — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 07:58:33 +0000

We were honored to host Prof. Xiaoshi Qian from Shanghai Jiao Tong University during his recent visit to Slovenia.

Prof. Qian delivered a compelling lecture titled “Harnessing Giant Electrocaloric Effect in High-Polar Entropy Materials”, offering fresh insights into the development of high-performance electrocaloric polymers. His talk sparked engaging scientific discussions with members of the LAHDE team, as well as with guests from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, and the Electronic Ceramics Department (K5) at the “Jožef Stefan” Institute.

As part of the visit, we had the opportunity to showcase our laboratory facilities and share some of LAHDE’s current research efforts, from recent patents and experimental work to our broader research activities. Our colleagues from the Jožef Stefan Institute also presented their advanced material characterization capabilities, which further enriched the exchange. The visit highlighted several shared research interests and laid the groundwork for future collaboration in the field of caloric and solid-state cooling and heating technologies.

We sincerely thank Prof. Qian for his visit, the insightful discussions, and the opportunity to strengthen international scientific ties. We look forward to continued collaboration and knowledge exchange.

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World Ice-Cream Day

admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:04:42 +0000

🍦Happy World Ice Cream Day!🍦 Did you know this celebration, held on the third Sunday of July, was established in 1984 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to honor the joy ice cream brings? But ice cream’s story goes back much further, and it wasn’t always so accessible.

Centuries ago, ice cream was a luxury reserved for the wealthy and powerful. Before modern refrigeration, making ice cream required natural ice harvested in winter, stored in ice houses, and combined with salt to lower the freezing point. This was a time-consuming, costly process. This meant the treat was typically served only at royal banquets and elite gatherings. It wasn’t until the 20th century, with refrigeration and mass production, that ice cream became the beloved dessert we all enjoy today.

Beyond its sweet taste, ice cream is a fascinating blend of science and engineering. It’s a multiphase system of air bubbles, partially coalesced fat globules, ice crystals, and an aqueous phase containing sugars, salts, and proteins. Texture depends heavily on ice crystal size, which ties into a principle called the Kelvin effect: smaller crystals freeze at slightly lower temperatures than larger ones due to their higher surface energy. This is why constant churning and rapid freezing are essential for that smooth, creamy mouthfeel.

Ice cream production, however, isn’t just about flavor. It has an environmental footprint. Producing one liter of ice cream consumes 0.5–1.5 kWh of energy and emits 1.5–3.5 kg of CO₂-equivalent, largely from dairy farming and processing. Up to 30% of input energy is lost as heat during freezing and mixing, and air incorporation ranges from 20% to 100% (premium varieties hover around 50%). Improving energy efficiency in these thermo-fluid processes could cut the carbon footprint by 10–25%, making the industry more sustainable.

And if you’re wondering about the fastest way to make ice cream? Just add liquid nitrogen (at -196°C) for an instant freeze and ultra-smooth texture!

So today, as you indulge, remember: every scoop is a perfect blend of history, physics, and a sprinkle of sustainability. ❄️🔬🍨

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FisMat 2025, Venice

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 12:24:59 +0000

At this year’s FisMat conference, held in Venice, Italy, a special workshop on cooling of electronics and sensors took place. As part of the workshop, Katja Klinar gave an invited talk titled “Active and Passive Cooling Methods for Electronics and Sensors.”

The workshop provided an excellent opportunity for an in-depth look at the latest research and innovative solutions in one of the key areas of modern electronics. The high quality of the presentations, the diversity of approaches, and the engaging discussions clearly demonstrated how important and timely this field is.

Sincere thanks to the organizers for a carefully planned and content-rich workshop. It’s always encouraging to see a community so committed to progress—both in scientific understanding and practical application.

More info: https://eventi.cnism.it/fismat2025

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Interklima 2019, Zagreb

lahde — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 13:07:42 +0000

The international Interclima conference is dedicated to research in the field of technical thermodynamics and to the energy efficiency improvements in thermal energy systems, primarily in the buildings and industry, in the context of the regulations subjected to the implementation of EU Directives in national legislation. Prof. Kitanovski held the invited lecture on Alternative Refrigeration and Heat Pumping Technologies.

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International Conference of SZE 2019

lahde — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:26:58 +0000

The International Conference of SZE (Slovenian Energy Association) took place in the beginning of April in Porotož. It hosted more than 200 attendees, who presented 47 contributions in sustainable and clean energy supply for heating and cooling.

The LAHDE presented:

Comparative techno-economic analysis of using gas engine-driven heat pumps in heat and cooling energy supply, Boris Vidrih, Andrej Kitanovski, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Urban Odar, Gospodarsko interesno združenje za distribucijo zemeljskega plina
Refrigeration challenges: review of the most promising future technologies, Katja Klinar, Andrej Kitanovski, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana
Capillary tube optimisation using global optimisation algorithms, Luka Lorbek, Andrej Kitanovski, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana
Modelling of a condenser for a heat pump dryer, Nada Petelin, Alojz Poredoš, Andrej Kitanovski, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Pero Gatarić Gorenje d.d.
The role of heat pumps in district energy systems, Primož Poredoš, Andrej Kitanovski, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Franc Marovt, Kronoterm

More information is available on SZE website.

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