Toward Advancing Elastocaloric Performance in Shape Memory Alloys Through Additive Manufacturing: Novel Conceptual Designs and Preliminary Insights

Abstract Over the past few decades, the elastocaloric effect (eCE) has emerged as the most promising alternative to vapor compression-based cooling and refrigeration devices. An overview of different forms of eC devices, based on the design of the material and the system, is captured with reported data on the cooling/heating power and efficiency. Besides experimental studies, numerical research and developed models for eCE are presented. The elastocaloric performance of NiTi Shape memory alloy has been considerably improved as a result of the unprecedented control over their microstructural, compositional, and geometrical characteristics that have been made possible by recent advancements in additive manufacturing (AM). This paper provides a thorough summary of the role of AM in the customization of NiTi-based SMAs for elastocaloric applications, with a particular emphasis on critical mechanisms such as microstructural refinement, phase stabilization, and architected design. Despite these advances, minimizing defects, managing compositional shifts, and assuring long-term cyclic stability need to be further investigated. This review emphasizes the transformative potential of AM in the development of next-generation elastocaloric materials and delineates future research directions for high-performance, scalable SMA-based cooling systems. To this end, an innovative concept of functionally graded eC material realized through additive manufacturing is introduced. These functionally graded structures pave the way to harnessing higher eC efficiency. The resulting eC materials can be 3D printed with optimal functionality and shapes. The optimized shapes, with a gradient of transformation temperatures, are expected, as described, to significantly improve the performance of the resulting systems.