Direct electrocaloric effect (ECE) measurement method using infrared (IR) sensor in P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) and P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) films

The use of traditional Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems significantly contributes to global warming, prompting the exploration of alternative cooling technologies. Among these, electrocaloric cooling has emerged as a promising solid-state solution that offers energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact. To evaluate the electrocaloric effect of these materials, two measurement methods have been identified: indirect and direct. While the indirect method suffers from reliability and mathematical assumption issues, the direct approach is often expensive to implement. In response, we explored a reliable method utilizing an infrared sensor to measure the electrocaloric cooling effect. This method was tested on electrocaloric films, specifically P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) and P(VDF-TrFE-CFE), fabricated using different techniques with thicknesses ranging from 7 to 10 μm, under varying electric fields and temperatures. Our findings indicate the potential of this direct measurement technique to enhance the assessment of electrocaloric cooling technologies.