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Nano-engineered thermoelectrics enable scalable, compressor-free cooling
Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL, in collaboration with Samsung Research, have unveiled a breakthrough in solid-state cooling technology, doubling the efficiency of today’s commercial systems. Driven by the Lab’s patented nano-engineered thin-film thermoelectric materials and devices, this innovation paves the way for compact, reliable and scalable cooling solutions that could potentially replace traditional compressors across a range of industries.
As global demand grows for more energy-efficient, reliable and compact cooling solutions, this advancement offers a scalable alternative to traditional compressor-based refrigeration. In a paper published in Nature Communications on May 21, 2025, a team of researchers from APL and refrigeration engineers from Samsung Research demonstrated improved heat-pumping efficiency and capacity in refrigeration systems attributable to high-performance nano-engineered thermoelectric materials invented at APL known as controlled hierarchically engineered superlattice structures (CHESS). “It marks a significant leap in cooling technology and sets the stage for translating advances in thermoelectric materials into practical, large-scale, energy-efficient refrigeration applications.”
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