Electrocaloric system

Abstract

A system comprises a first row of electrocaloric capacitors having capacitors separated by a first set of insulation regions. A second row of electrocaloric capacitors is disposed proximate the first row of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a second set of insulation regions. A first electric field is applied to the first row of electrocaloric capacitors and a second electric field is applied to the second row of electrocaloric capacitors. When the first and second electric fields are applied to their respective electrocaloric capacitors the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor rises in accordance with a rising first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing second electric field or the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor increases in accordance with a rising second field.

1 . A system comprising:
 a first row of electrocaloric capacitors, the capacitors of the first row of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a first set of insulation regions; and   a second row of electrocaloric capacitors proximate the first row of electrocaloric capacitors the capacitors of the second row of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a second set of insulation regions;   wherein a first electric field is applied to the first row of electrocaloric capacitors and a second electric field is applied to the second row of electrocaloric capacitors, and   wherein the first and second electric fields are complementary such that when the first and second electric fields are applied to their respective electrocaloric capacitors the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor rises in accordance with a rising first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing second electric field or the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor increases in accordance with a rising second electric field.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a support layer between the first row of electrocaloric capacitors and the second row of electrocaloric capacitors. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one thermally conductive via through the support layer 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the support layer comprises a thermally insulating material. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the support layer is a structural support layer. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the structural support layer comprises:
 a first support structure proximate the first row of electrocaloric capacitors;   a second support structure proximate the second row of electrocaloric capacitors; and   a lubricant disposed between the first support structure and the second support structure.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the structural support layer is thermally conductive vertically between the first capacitor layer and the second capacitor layer. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the capacitors of the first row and the second row of electrocaloric capacitors are one or more of multilayer chip capacitors or collections of multilayer chip capacitors. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first row and second row of electrocaloric capacitors are shifted intermittently or continuously relative to one another in correspondence with the raising and lowering of the first and second electric fields. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first or second rows of electrocaloric capacitors is thermally coupled to a heat source and one of the first or second rows of electrocaloric capacitors is thermally coupled to a heat sink. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of first and second electrocaloric capacitor layers stacked in an alternating pair configuration of a first electrocaloric capacitor layer and a second electrocaloric capacitor layer. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising an actuator configured to shift like electrocaloric capacitor layers in the alternating pair configuration relative to one another. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the actuator is configured to substantially synchronously shift the like electrocaloric layers relative to one another. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the actuator is configured to shift the like electrocaloric capacitor layers in the alternating pair configuration intermittently or continuously in correspondence with the raising and lowering of the first and second electric fields. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the actuator is configured to shift the like electrocaloric capacitor layers in the alternating pair configuration according to a linear or rotational motion. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a first layer of electrocaloric capacitors the capacitors of the first row of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a first insulation region;   a second layer of electrocaloric capacitors proximate the first electrocaloric capacitor wherein the proximity enables heat transfer between the first and second electrocaloric capacitors the capacitors of the second row of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a second insulation region; and   an actuator configured to shift the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors relative to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors;   wherein a first electric field is applied to the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors and a second electric field is applied to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors, and   wherein the first and second electric fields are complementary such that when the first and second electric fields are applied to their respective electrocaloric capacitors the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor rises in accordance with a rising first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing second electric field or the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor increases in accordance with a rising second electric field, and   wherein the actuator is configured to shift the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors relative to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors in correspondence with the raising and lowering of the first and second electric fields.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a support layer between the first row of electrocaloric capacitors and the second row of electrocaloric capacitors. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one thermally conductive via through the support layer 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the support layer comprises:
 a first structural support structure proximate the first row of electrocaloric capacitors;   a second structural support structure proximate the second row of electrocaloric capacitors; and   a lubricant disposed between the first structural support structure and the second structural support structure.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the support layer is thermally insulating in a lateral direction and is thermally conductive vertically between the first electrocaloric capacitor layer and the second electrocaloric capacitor layer. 
     
     
         21 . A method of cooling comprising:
 moving a second layer of electrocaloric capacitors a first direction relative to a first layer of electrocaloric capacitors, the capacitors of the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a first insulation region and the capacitors of the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a second insulation region;   increasing an electric field on the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors while lowering an electric field on the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors whereby heat is transferred from the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors;   moving the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors in a direction opposite the first direction relative to the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors; and   increasing an electric field on the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors while lowering an electric field on the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors whereby heat is transferred from the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors to the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising transferring heat vertically between the first and second capacitor layers using at least one via disposed through a support layer between the first row of electrocaloric capacitors and the second row of electrocaloric capacitors. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein shifting one or both of the first row and the second row of electrocaloric capacitors intermittently or continuously relative to one another in correspondence with the raising and lowering of the first and second electric fields.