ELECTROCALORIC COOLER AND HEAT PUMP

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system and methods for controlling thermal energy transfer using electrocaloric effect.SOLUTION: The system can cool a desired element by including: an object to be cooled 12; a heat sink structure 24, spaced apart from the object to be cooled 12; an electrocaloric structure 14 carried by a suspension and configured for alternating physical movement between thermal communication with the object to be cooled 12 and thermal communication with the heat sink structure 24; and a control signal supply source simultaneously providing both a temperature control signal for controlling the temperature of the electrocaloric structure 14 and a movement control signal for controlling the alternating physical movement of the electrocaloric structure 14 between thermal communication with the object to be cooled 12 and thermal communication with the heat sink structure 24. Heating as well as cooling of a desired element may be provided depending on a system configuration.