A team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed an innovative solution capable of overcoming the limitations of solid-state refrigerants. By combining cooling and heat exchange processes within a single liquid, the researchers have introduced a technology that could become a promising alternative for cooling data centers and residential buildings.

Environmental Challenges of Traditional Cooling

Modern cooling systems and refrigeration equipment are among humanity’s most important inventions, but their use comes with significant environmental costs. Vapor-compression systems, widely used around the world, accounted for nearly 15% of China’s energy consumption in 2019 and over 7.8% of global carbon dioxide emissions (as of 2020). Although solid-state caloric materials have been considered a low-emission alternative, their inability to efficiently transfer heat has significantly limited their practical application.

A Breakthrough in Cooling Technology

The research group led by Professor Li Bin from the Institute of Metal Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has managed to overcome the so-called “impossible trinity”: achieving high cooling capacity, efficient heat transfer, and zero carbon emissions. In their publication in the journal Nature, the scientists presented a new method based on the use of a soluble barocaloric effect.

To implement this technology, the team used a solution of ammonium thiocyanate (NH₄SCN). This approach combines the thermal advantages of solid refrigerants with the rapid flow of liquids. By turning the refrigerant into a pumpable liquid, the system can instantly respond to pressure changes and avoids the heat exchange bottlenecks typical of traditional solid boundaries.

Operating Principle and Efficiency

The operation of the new cooling cycle is based on a simple sequence of processes. During experiments at room temperature, the liquid’s temperature dropped by almost 30 kelvins (about 30°C) in just 20 seconds. At higher temperatures, the cooling range reached up to 54 kelvins. Modeling of a four-stage prototype cycle demonstrated an energy efficiency approaching 77% and a cooling capacity of 67 joules per gram.

Application Prospects

With global demand for cooling expected to triple by 2050 (according to 2022 data), this stable and reversible technology paves the way for commercial refrigeration equipment with zero emissions. Its outstanding performance at high temperatures makes it especially suitable for managing intense heat loads in next-generation computing centers powered by artificial intelligence.