German and Japanese scientists develop electricity-free solid-state cooler for data centers
Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the University of Tsukuba have created a prototype elastocaloric cooler that operates without electricity, achieving modest temperature drops in lab tests.
A collaborative project between Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Japan’s University of Tsukuba has demonstrated a solid-state cooling method that requires no external electricity. The prototype relies on elastocaloric effects in shape-memory nickel-titanium foils: one foil contracts with heat, acting as its own actuator, while the second foil undergoes a phase change that absorbs heat. Laboratory results showed a temperature span of 12.9 K at the refrigerant film and a 4.0 K drop at the device level under Joule-heated actuation at 86 °C, with a reduced 2.2 K span when the external heat source reached 130 °C. Yi-Ting Hsiau, the paper’s lead author, said witnessing measurable cooling confirmed the principle’s viability.
The team intends to construct larger units to boost efficiency, aiming at compact, heat-driven cooling solutions for data centers, which face growing electricity and water demands. Jingyuan Xu, head of KIT’s ZEco Thermal Lab, emphasized that scaling the technology could help lower the tech sector’s overall energy footprint.
Why it matters
It offers a potential way to cool data centers using waste heat, reducing electricity and water consumption.
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