Your refrigerator could make it much cheaper in the future because of a new technology. It’s also more environmentally friendly.
Saving money and being better for the environment are two birds with one stone. Yet it can be done with the refrigerator of the future if researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology are to be believed.
They have investigated a new refrigeration technology that uses significantly less electricity. The good news is that the technology can be used in other places as well.
A new technology for refrigerators
OK, the refrigerator really isn’t the most exciting appliance in your home, yet we all have one. Brands like Samsung and LG are coming out with all sorts of innovative features to make that appliance truly smart, but you probably hardly know anyone who has one of these new versions.
Yet that might just change in the future, as thermogalvanic technology is now being researched. This is different from the technology that refrigerators use now: vapor compression technology.
Cool closet! (Image: Mark Hofman / WANT)
Thermogalvanic cells use heat produced by reversible chemical reactions in making electrical energy. For example, researchers have found that thermogalvanic hydrogel can be used to keep a smartphone battery cool while converting the residual heat into electricity. Ideal for your refrigerator.
A good step for the future
By reversing the process and optimizing the chemicals, the cooling capacity of a hydrogalvanic cell can be improved by 70 percent. Something that is also good for the environment.
Domestic refrigerators and freezers consumed nearly 4 percent of global electricity in 2019, according to The Guardian. In addition, gas leaks from the appliances into the atmosphere create quite a few greenhouse gases. So new technology could go a long way.
Still, there is some work to be done. The design of the system needs to be optimized, as do other potential commercial uses. Also consider the scalability of the technology. So, unfortunately, it will be some years away.