Periodic Reporting for period 1 - THERMOCOOL (Next generation of thermal-electrical devices for heat and power management)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-06-01 bis 2025-05-31
The THERMOCOOL project is designed in response to two defining societal and industrial trends of our time: the urgent transition to sustainable energy systems and the rapid digitalization of all sectors through the proliferation of connected devices.
Globally, around 20% of total energy consumption is devoted to cooling applications, with 1.6 billion air conditioning units currently in use. This figure is expected to rise sharply, driven by population growth, urbanization, and climate change. Traditional cooling devices significantly strain electrical grids and are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, as digitalization accelerates, the Internet of Everything (IoE) is set to connect trillions of sensors, devices, and machines — many requiring both efficient cooling and sustainable, low-maintenance energy sources.
Current solutions for both cooling and the powering of ubiquitous electronics are suboptimal: they are often energy-intensive, environmentally damaging, and reliant on scarce raw materials. This underscores the need for novel technologies that are energy-efficient, scalable, sustainable, and suitable for diverse environments, from data centers, batteries, and wearable electronics to remote solar-powered infrastructure.
THERMOCOOL is structured around three primary objectives:
1. Enhance Device Efficiency: Develop and integrate state-of-the-art thermoelectric and ferroelectric materials into high-performance devices. The project focuses on four key solid-state conversion technologies: thermoelectric generators (TG) and coolers (TC) for electricity and cooling, and pyroelectric generators (PG) and electrocaloric coolers (EC) for dynamic thermal applications.
2. Promote Sustainability and Material Security: Employ abundant, low-cost materials while minimizing dependence on critical raw elements. Solutions will ensure recyclability and address environmental, societal, and economic sustainability to facilitate widespread adoption.
3. Demonstrate Technological Superiority: Validate these technologies in real-world demonstrators targeting use-cases where conventional solutions are less efficient or feasible. Demonstrators will include:
• Peltier coolers for batteries (Denmark)
• Electrocaloric coolers for low-noise amplifiers (France)
• Thermoelectric coolers for high-performance computing (Germany)
• Pyroelectric generators for wearable electronics (Sweden)
• Thermoelectric generators for solar energy harvesting (Sweden)
The innovative aspect of THERMOCOOL lies in the unified approach to both thermoelectric (TG, TC) and ferroelectric (PG, EC) material systems, handled by interdisciplinary teams. These devices are inherently solid-state, featuring no moving parts, minimal maintenance, silent operation, and the ability to reverse operational modes (generator/cooler) without environmental risks associated with refrigerants or consumables. The project will bridge the gap between laboratory validation (TRL3) and system demonstration under relevant conditions (TRL5).
By advancing and demonstrating highly efficient, low-cost, and sustainable solutions for cooling and energy harvesting, THERMOCOOL aims to:
• Substantially reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions from sector-wide cooling applications;
• Enable the deployment of trillions of connected devices powered by harvested thermal energy, reducing battery waste and maintenance;
• Provide scalable alternatives deployable across industries, improving resilience and accelerating the transition to low-carbon, digitalized societies.
In summary, THERMOCOOL tackles pressing needs emerging from the confluence of energy transition and digitalization, delivering innovative solutions that promise lasting sustainability, economic, and environmental benefits.
Globally, around 20% of total energy consumption is devoted to cooling applications, with 1.6 billion air conditioning units currently in use. This figure is expected to rise sharply, driven by population growth, urbanization, and climate change. Traditional cooling devices significantly strain electrical grids and are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, as digitalization accelerates, the Internet of Everything (IoE) is set to connect trillions of sensors, devices, and machines — many requiring both efficient cooling and sustainable, low-maintenance energy sources.
Current solutions for both cooling and the powering of ubiquitous electronics are suboptimal: they are often energy-intensive, environmentally damaging, and reliant on scarce raw materials. This underscores the need for novel technologies that are energy-efficient, scalable, sustainable, and suitable for diverse environments, from data centers, batteries, and wearable electronics to remote solar-powered infrastructure.
THERMOCOOL is structured around three primary objectives:
1. Enhance Device Efficiency: Develop and integrate state-of-the-art thermoelectric and ferroelectric materials into high-performance devices. The project focuses on four key solid-state conversion technologies: thermoelectric generators (TG) and coolers (TC) for electricity and cooling, and pyroelectric generators (PG) and electrocaloric coolers (EC) for dynamic thermal applications.
2. Promote Sustainability and Material Security: Employ abundant, low-cost materials while minimizing dependence on critical raw elements. Solutions will ensure recyclability and address environmental, societal, and economic sustainability to facilitate widespread adoption.
3. Demonstrate Technological Superiority: Validate these technologies in real-world demonstrators targeting use-cases where conventional solutions are less efficient or feasible. Demonstrators will include:
• Peltier coolers for batteries (Denmark)
• Electrocaloric coolers for low-noise amplifiers (France)
• Thermoelectric coolers for high-performance computing (Germany)
• Pyroelectric generators for wearable electronics (Sweden)
• Thermoelectric generators for solar energy harvesting (Sweden)
The innovative aspect of THERMOCOOL lies in the unified approach to both thermoelectric (TG, TC) and ferroelectric (PG, EC) material systems, handled by interdisciplinary teams. These devices are inherently solid-state, featuring no moving parts, minimal maintenance, silent operation, and the ability to reverse operational modes (generator/cooler) without environmental risks associated with refrigerants or consumables. The project will bridge the gap between laboratory validation (TRL3) and system demonstration under relevant conditions (TRL5).
By advancing and demonstrating highly efficient, low-cost, and sustainable solutions for cooling and energy harvesting, THERMOCOOL aims to:
• Substantially reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions from sector-wide cooling applications;
• Enable the deployment of trillions of connected devices powered by harvested thermal energy, reducing battery waste and maintenance;
• Provide scalable alternatives deployable across industries, improving resilience and accelerating the transition to low-carbon, digitalized societies.
In summary, THERMOCOOL tackles pressing needs emerging from the confluence of energy transition and digitalization, delivering innovative solutions that promise lasting sustainability, economic, and environmental benefits.
During the initial phase of the project, significant progress was made across specifications, materials development, module fabrication, and characterization. For both electrocaloric coolers and pyroelectric power generators, optimal polymer formulations and performance targets were defined, supported by clear design guidelines and modelling tools. Specifications for thermoelectric and solar thermoelectric generator demonstrators were established, including operating ranges and functional requirements. Advanced relaxor ferroelectric tetrapolymers (PVDF-TrFE-CFE-FA) were synthesized and comprehensively characterized, revealing tunable relaxor and ferroelectric behavior. In parallel, high-performance n-type (Mg₃Sb2) and p-type (Half-Heusler alloy) thermoelectric materials were fabricated, metallized, and processed into functional module components. First-generation thermoelectric and multilayer ferroelectric modules were assembled, with ongoing improvements in layer design and integration. Multi-scale physical characterization provided insight into the crystalline and piezoelectric properties of the materials, informing further optimization for device performance. This collective work has established a robust foundation for subsequent technological integration and demonstrator testing.
The period covered by this report corresponds to the first 12 months of the project. Many potential results have begun to emerge. However, the consolidation and valorisation of these results are still ongoing. This section will be further developed in the next progress report