Say hello to ionocaloric cooling: a new way to lower mercury that has the potential to replace existing methods with something safer and friendlier to the planet.
Conventional refrigeration systems transfer heat from space by cooling gas as it expands. Although this process works, some of the special gases we use are also not friendly to the environment.
However, there are more than one way in which an object can be forced to absorb and release heat energy.
A new method developed by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, US takes advantage of the way energy is stored or released when matter changes phase, such as when solid ice turns into liquid. water, for example.
Turn up the heat on the ice cube tray, it will melt. What we may not readily see is that the melt absorbs heat from its surroundings, effectively cooling it.
Another way to force ice to melt without needing to raise the temperature is to add a few charged particles, or ions. Placing salt on roads to prevent ice formation is a common example of this in action. The ionocaloric cycle also uses salt to change the phase of the liquid and cool its environment.
Mechanical engineer Drew Lilley, who comes from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said: “The state of waste is an unsolved problem. “Nobody has been able to come up with an alternative solution that makes things cooler, more efficient, safer, and doesn’t harm the environment.”
“We think that the ionocaloric cycle has the potential to achieve all of those goals if implemented correctly.”
The researchers modeled the concept of the ionocaloric cycle to show how it could compete with, or improve the efficiency of, the refrigerators in use today. A wire running through the system would move ions through it, changing the melting point of the material to change the temperature.
The team also experimented with using a salt made of iodine and sodium, to dissolve ethylene carbonate. This common natural product is also used in lithium-ion batteries, and is produced with carbon dioxide as an input. That would make the system not only GWP [global warming potential] zero, but GWP negative.
A temperature change of 25 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit) was measured by applying one volt of charge to the experiment, a result that exceeded what other calorific techniques had been able to achieve. until now.
“There are three things we try to balance: the GWP of the refrigerant, the energy consumption, and the cost of the material itself,” says mechanical engineer Ravi Prasher, of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
“From the first test, our data looks very promising in all three areas.”
Vapor pressure systems currently used in refrigeration systems rely on gases with a high GWP, such as various types of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Countries that have signed the Kigali Amendment have committed to reducing the production and use of HFCs by at least 80 percent over the next 25 years – and ionocaloric cooling can play a big part in that.
Now, researchers need to take the technology out of the lab and into practical applications that can be used commercially and scaled up without problems. Finally, these systems could be used for heating as well as heating.
“We have this new thermodynamic cycle that combines components from different parts, and we’ve shown that it can work,” says Prasher.
“Now, it’s time for experiments to try out different types of tools and methods to deal with engineering problems.”
The research is published in Science.
What are scientific characteristics?
What are the 6 characteristics of science?
What are the 8 characteristics of a scientific research?
The major characteristics of scientific knowledge include the following: Valid, Objective, Accurate, Systematic, Ethical, Reliable, Predictable, Repeatable, Controllable and it has a clear purpose.
What are the 3 of the main characteristics of scientific research?
Good research is repeatable, replicable and transparent. See the article : The New War on Science: 4 Reasons Why People Reject Good Data. Reproducibility, reproducibility, and transparency are among the most important characteristics of research.
What does theory tell us?
Theory doesn’t just explain known facts; it also allows scientists to predict what they should observe if a certain theory is true. Scientific theories are tested. On the same subject : Science sometimes lacks integrity | News, Sports, Jobs – The Sentinel. New evidence must be consistent with the theory. If not, the idea is improved or rejected.
Does theory tell us why? A scientific theory differs from a scientific fact or a scientific law in that a theory explains “why” or “how”: a fact is a simple, basic observation, whereas a law is a statement (usually a mathematical equation) about relationship between factors. .
What are 3 things theories do?
What are three things that theories do? Theories generate hypotheses, generate discoveries, and provide practical guidance. This may interest you : Opinion | Science Has a Nasty Photoshopping Problem.
Why is theory importance?
Perceptions are important: They guide and give meaning to what we see. When the researcher conducts research and collects information through observation, the researcher needs a clear idea of what information is important to collect. Thus, valid theories are verified by research and are a sound basis for practical action.
What is the main purpose of theory?
Theories are designed to explain, predict, and understand phenomena, and in many cases, to challenge and extend existing knowledge, within the limits of critical thinking. A theoretical framework is a structure that can hold or support the theory of the study.
Which is not a characteristics of a scientific theory?
All of the following are characteristics of a scientific theory EXCEPT FACT A scientific theory does not include individual opinions a scientific theory is based on observable and repeatable evidence A scientific theory can never be proven to be ‘ true Scientific theories can be proven. Video Player opens. This is a modal window.
What is the nature of a scientific theory? An essential characteristic of a scientific theory or hypothesis is that it can be “wrong”. This means that there must be some experiment or discovery that can prove that theory is not true. For example, Einstein’s theory of Relativity predicted the results of experiments.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a scientific theory quizlet?
Which of the following is a characteristic of a scientific theory? Scientific theory is the best explanation for observable facts.
Which of the following are characteristics of a scientific theory? Scientific theories are tested and make impossible predictions. They describe the causes of a particular natural phenomenon and are used to explain and predict aspects of the physical universe or specific areas of research (eg electricity, chemistry and astronomy).
What are the four characteristics of a scientific theory?
The scientific method provides the basis for all scientific research and has four characteristics: repeatability, precision, falsity, and parsimony.
What are 3 characteristics of a scientific theory?
A scientific theory is the structure produced by these laws and is designed to explain them in a scientific way. When a scientist tries to explain things and events, he uses (1) careful observation or experiments, (2) reports of regular occurrences, and (3) systematic plans of explanation (theories).
