It is one roadblock away from large-scale applications.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Insititute of Technology have further advanced the technology used to achieve passive cooling — a method that does not require electricity at all.
The devices they made consist of three layers of material that perform the dual role of cooling water as well as letting heat pass through. The top layer is made of aerogel, a sponge-like structure made from polyethylene with air enclosed in cavities. Although insulating in nature, the material allows water vapor and infrared radiation to pass through it.Below the aerogel is a layer of hydrogel which is another sponge-like material, but its cavities are filled with water.
The cooling thus achieved could be used to store food for 40 percent longer under humid conditions and thrice longer under dryer conditions, the press release claimed.The technology can also be used to lower the load that air conditioning compressors go through by cooling them. This would increase the air conditioner efficiency and lead to energy savings too. However, there is a major roadblock before this technology can be scaled up commercially.