New Refrigeration Tech Makes Gas-Based Cooling Systems Potentially Obsolete

Researchers have pioneered a completely new refrigeration technology that could eliminate the environmental problems associated with current cooling methods. This innovative approach, known as the ionocaloric cycle, achieves cooling without relying on greenhouse gases or power-hungry compressors.

Instead, the ionocaloric method employs charged particles (ions), an organic solvent, and small electrical currents to precisely control the melting and solidifying of a material. This phase-change process absorbs and releases heat, creating a cycle capable of either cooling or heating a space.

Developed by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley, the new technology has the potential to render existing air conditioning systems obsolete. Published in the journal *Science*, their findings indicate that the ionocaloric cycle could match the efficiency of today's top commercial systems while avoiding the use of refrigerants known to contribute significantly to global warming.

According to Drew Lilley, the lead author of the study, "The landscape of refrigerants is an unsolved problem. No one has successfully developed an alternative solution that makes stuff cold, works efficiently, is safe, and doesn’t hurt the environment."

**Ions for Cooling, Not Gases**

Most of today's cooling systems depend on a vapor compression cycle. This cycle involves a refrigerant gas that circulates in a closed loop, absorbing heat as it evaporates and releasing heat when it condenses back into liquid form. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. the gases used in this process, particularly hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are among the most potent pollutants driving climate change.