UCLA materials scientists have created a compact cooling device that continuously removes heat using layers of flexible thin films. This design leverages the electrocaloric effect, where applying an electric field temporarily changes a material’s temperature.
In lab experiments, the researchers found that the prototype could lower ambient temperatures of its immediate surroundings by 16 degrees Fahrenheit continuously and up to 25 degrees at the source of the heat after about 30 seconds.
Detailed in a paper published in the journal Science, the approach could be incorporated into wearable cooling technology or portable cooling devices.
To read more, click here.