A heat-switch-based electrocaloric cooler

A heat-switch-based electrocaloric cooler is reported in this letter. The device consists of two silicon heat switches and an electrocaloric module based on BaTO3 multilayer capacitors (MLCs). To operate the cooler, the heat switches are actuated synchronously with the application of electric fields across the MLCs. Heat flux versus temperature lift is fully characterized. With an electric field strength of 277 kV/cm, the system achieves a maximum heat flux of 36 mW and maximum temperature lift of greater than 0.3 degrees C, close to the expected MLC adiabatic temperature change of 0.5 degrees C. The cooler is shown to work reliably over thousands of actuation cycles. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.