Electrocaloric heat transfer modular stack

Abstract

A heat transfer system is disclosed including a plurality of modules arranged in a stack. The stack modules include electrocaloric element and electrodes on each side of the film. A fluid flow path is disposed between two or more electrocaloric elements. A first electrical bus element ( 18 ) in electrical contact with the first electrode ( 14 ), and a second electrical bus element ( 20 ) in electrical contact with second electrode ( 16 ). The first electrical bus element is electrically connected to at least one other electrical bus of another electrocaloric element in the stack at the same polarity as said first electrical bus, or the second electrical bus element is electrically connected to at least one other electrical bus of another electrocaloric element in the stack at the same polarity as said second electrical bus.

1 . A heat transfer system, comprising a plurality of modules arranged in a stack, each of the modules comprising
 an electrocaloric element comprising an electrocaloric film, a first electrode on a first side of the electrocaloric film, and a second electrode on a second side of the electrocaloric film;   a fluid flow path between two or more electrocaloric elements;   a first electrical bus element in electrical contact with the first electrode; and   a second electrical bus element in electrical contact with second electrode;   wherein the first electrical bus element is electrically connected to at least one other electrical bus of another electrocaloric element in the stack at the same polarity as said first electrical bus, or the second electrical bus element is electrically connected to at least one other electrical bus of another electrocaloric element in the stack at the same polarity as said second electrical bus.   
     
     
         2 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrical bus element is electrically connected to at least one other electrical bus of another electrocaloric element in the stack at the same polarity as said first electrical bus, and the second electrical bus element is electrically connected to at least one other electrical bus of another electrocaloric element in the stack at the same polarity as said second electrical bus. 
     
     
         3 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first or second electrical bus is electrically connected to an electrical bus of an adjacent electrocaloric element in the stack at the same polarity as said first or second electrical bus. 
     
     
         4 . The heat transfer system of  claims 1 , wherein the first and second electrical bus elements are each electrically connected to electrical bus elements of an adjacent electrocaloric element in the stack at the same polarities as said first and second electrical bus elements, respectively. 
     
     
         5 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrical bus element is in an interlocking configuration with an electrical bus of an adjacent electrocaloric element in the stack, or the second electrical bus element is in an interlocking configuration with an electrical bus of an adjacent electrocaloric element in the stack, or the first electrical bus element and the second electrical bus element are each in an interlocking configuration with an electrical bus of an adjacent electrocaloric element in the stack. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrical bus element is electrically connected to a live electrode and the second electrical bus element is electrically connected to a ground electrode. 
     
     
         8 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrical bus elements are disposed along opposite edges of the electrocaloric element. 
     
     
         9 . The heat transfer system of  claim 8 , wherein the first electrode extends from the first electrical bus element along the first side of the electrocaloric film to a position physically separated from the second electrical bus element, and the second electrode extends from the second electrical bus element along the second side of the electrocaloric film to a position physically separated from the first electrical bus element. 
     
     
         10 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrical bus elements are disposed along a common edge of the electrocaloric element. 
     
     
         11 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , comprising at least two adjacent electrocaloric elements that share an electrode at least partially embedded between the electrocaloric films of the adjacent electrocaloric elements. 
     
     
         12 . The heat transfer system of  claim 11 , wherein the embedded electrode is a live electrode, and comprising ground electrodes adjacent to the fluid flow path. 
     
     
         13 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more spacer elements between electrocaloric elements. 
     
     
         14 . The heat transfer system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more spacer elements extend axially along a direction of fluid flow along the fluid flow path or wherein the one or more axially-extending spacer elements extend linearly along a direction of fluid flow along the fluid flow path, or wherein the one or more axially-extending spacer elements extend non-linearly along a direction of fluid flow along the fluid flow path. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The heat transfer system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more spacer elements are electrically non-conductive. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of modules further comprise an electrically non-conductive support member connected to the electrocaloric element. 
     
     
         21 . The heat transfer system of  claim 20 , wherein the support includes header spaces at opposing ends of the electrocaloric elements in fluid communication with the fluid flow path. 
     
     
         22 . The heat transfer system of  claim 20 , wherein the supports of the plurality of modules together form an enclosure within which the electrocaloric elements and the spacer elements are disposed. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes each comprise a metalized layer deposited on the electrocaloric film. 
     
     
         27 . The heat transfer system of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a first thermal flow path between the fluid flow path and a heat sink   a second thermal flow path between the fluid flow path and a heat source; and   a controller configured to control electrical current to the electrodes and to selectively direct transfer of heat energy from the fluid flow path in thermal communication with electrocaloric element to the heat sink along the first thermal flow path or from the heat source to the fluid flow path in thermal communication with the electrocaloric element along the second thermal flow path.   
     
     
         28 . A method of fabricating the heat transfer system  claim 1 , comprising assembling repeating units of said modules in a stack configuration.