Get ready for a revolution in home appliances as researchers develop a new technology that could make fridges cheaper, greener, and more efficient.
Domestic fridges and freezers consume a staggering 4% of global electricity each year.
A novel use of technology could make refrigerators cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Research has shown that thermogalvanic technology has promising potential as a cooling mechanism and could be a sustainable alternative to the vapour compression technology now used in most fridges.
Thermogalvanic technology is a process that harnesses the energy generated from the difference in electrochemical potential between two dissimilar metals.
This phenomenon occurs when two metals are submerged in an electrolyte solution, causing a flow of electrons between them.
The resulting electrical current can be used to power devices or generate heat.
Thermogalvanic cells have been explored for various applications, including energy harvesting and corrosion prevention.
What is Thermogalvanic Technology?
Thermogalvanic cells use the heat produced by reversible chemical reactions to create electrical power. This process can be reversed, enabling the generation of cooling power. By optimising the chemicals used in the process, researchers have been able to improve the hydrogalvanic cell’s cooling power by 70%.
A thermogalvanic cell is an electrochemical device that generates electricity through the reaction between a metal and a chemical compound at different temperatures.
This process involves the oxidation of one material and the reduction of another, resulting in an electric current.
Thermogalvanic cells have been explored for potential applications in energy harvesting and conversion.
They can be used to power small devices or as part of larger systems for generating electricity.
Research into thermogalvanic cells continues to advance our understanding of this technology.
Potential Impact on Greenhouse Emissions
Electricity used to power refrigerators combined with gas leakages from fridges and freezers into the atmosphere make them a significant source of greenhouse emissions. In the UK, 50% of food refrigeration emissions come from electrical power, with 37% of these emissions coming from domestic refrigerators.
Greenhouse emissions refer to the release of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) , methane (CH4) , and water vapor, into the Earth's atmosphere.
These gases trap heat from the sun, leading to a warming effect on the planet.
Human activities like burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and agriculture contribute significantly to greenhouse emissions.
According to the IPCC, global CO2 levels have increased by over 40% since the Industrial Revolution, primarily due to fossil fuel combustion.
Reducing greenhouse emissions is crucial for mitigating climate change.
A Sustainable Future for Fridges?
The study’s senior author, Jiangjiang Duan, believes that thermogalvanic cooling has a low carbon footprint and could promote carbon neutrality if its usage became widespread. ‘Thermogalvanic technology is on its way to our lives, either in the form of clean electricity or low-power cooling,’ said Duan.
Future research will focus on optimising the system’s design and investigating other potential commercial uses for thermogalvanic technology. The team aims to continuously improve the thermogalvanic cooling performance by exploring novel mechanisms and advanced materials.
- theguardian.com | New technology could make fridges cheaper and more eco friendly
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