Breakthrough zero-degradation elastocaloric cooler promises durable, eco-friendly refrigeration
HKUST researchers unveiled the world’s first zero-degradation elastocaloric cooling device, using a fatigue-resistant TiNiCuCo shape memory alloy and a redesigned refrigerant structure to deliver a constant 400W cooling power and a 41°C temperature span over one million cycles; accelerated tests show no degradation up to 100 million cycles, and real-world use is expected to exceed a decade, marking a green alternative to conventional refrigeration and advancing toward market-ready elastocaloric cooling for air conditioning.