Developing a prototype of a Not in Kind Heat Pump based on elastocaloric effect

Elastocaloric is an emerging cooling solution that, as possible alternative to vapor compression, employs solid-state refrigerants exhibiting the property of changing their temperature as a consequence of a variation of a mechanical stress applied, i.e. elastocaloric effect. The materials showing caloric effects have solid state and therefore they are not provided by Global Warming Potential. The above-mentioned characteristic reflects in the absence of any direct contribution on Total Equivalent Warming Impact (TEWI) for an elastocaloric cooling system. These features attributed to solid-state elastocaloric heat pumping and air conditioning the role of breakthrough ecofriendly technology and the development of sustainable performing prototypes can represent a turning point in the history of refrigeration and heat pumping. The elastocaloric devices developed in the world up to now are a dozen. Among them just one is rotative and Italy has not presented its first elastocaloric prototype, yet. This paper aims to introduce the design and development of SUSSTAIN-EL, the first Italian Not in kind Heat Pump based on elastocaloric technology, whose rotative design coupled with hydraulic pistons represent an innovation in research.