About this Research Topic
Solid-state cooling, based on caloric effects in solid materials, has recently attracted considerable attention as one of the alternative solutions to vapor-compression technology, which faces several issues such as relatively low efficiency and the use of environmentally harmful refrigerants. Caloric cooling and heating can potentially be very efficient and is based on environmentally benign, solid-state refrigerants. Among them, mechanocaloric (e.g., elastocaloric and barocaloric) cooling is of particular interest because it is based on affordable, non-critical materials, while the mechanocaloric effect in some materials can be an order of magnitude larger compared to other caloric effects. In recent years, we have seen a rapid development of new advanced mechanocaloric materials as well as new prototype devices based on the elastocaloric effect. In addition to cooling and heating, mechanocaloric materials can be applied in solid-state energy harvesting and heat-storage devices.
The goal of the Research Topic is to bring together experts to present the latest developments in mechanocaloric materials and devices. It aims to present recent advances in the development of elastocaloric and barocaloric materials from processing, phase transition, microstructural, mechanical, and thermal (caloric) perspectives. From an application perspective, particular focus should be placed on the durability (fatigue life) of mechanocaloric materials during cycling and the reduction of hysteresis losses. We would welcome papers following both experimental and theoretical/numerical approaches. Of particular interest are contributions that address the design and characterization of mechanocaloric devices for cooling and heating, as well as energy harvesting and heat storage.
Themes to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Development of elastocaloric materials
• Development of barocaloric materials
• Thermodynamics of mechanocaloric materials
• Experiments on mechanocaloric materials
• Modelling of mechanocaloric materials
• Applications of mechanocaloric materials
We encourage the submission of reviews, original papers, and prospects.
The goal of the Research Topic is to bring together experts to present the latest developments in mechanocaloric materials and devices. It aims to present recent advances in the development of elastocaloric and barocaloric materials from processing, phase transition, microstructural, mechanical, and thermal (caloric) perspectives. From an application perspective, particular focus should be placed on the durability (fatigue life) of mechanocaloric materials during cycling and the reduction of hysteresis losses. We would welcome papers following both experimental and theoretical/numerical approaches. Of particular interest are contributions that address the design and characterization of mechanocaloric devices for cooling and heating, as well as energy harvesting and heat storage.
Themes to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Development of elastocaloric materials
• Development of barocaloric materials
• Thermodynamics of mechanocaloric materials
• Experiments on mechanocaloric materials
• Modelling of mechanocaloric materials
• Applications of mechanocaloric materials
We encourage the submission of reviews, original papers, and prospects.
Keywords: elastocaloric material, barocaloric material, phase transformation, caloric effect, solid-state cooling, mechanocaloic devices
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
