Chase Hartquist, Ph.D., was presented with the Haythornthwaite Foundation Research Initiation Grant by the Applied Mechanics Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). This award is for early-career faculty that engage in theoretical and applied mechanics research; recipients are expected to present their progress on their proposed project by the next year.
Hartquist leads the Mechanics of Structures, Networks, and Polymers (SNAP) Lab, which focuses on soft material mechanics for applications in medicine and clean energy. With this award, Hartquist plans to model the elastocaloric cooling effect – the temperature changes that come from rapid stretching and releasing – on rubber as a solid-state alternative to harmful chemical refrigerants in conventional air conditioning. Current cooling technology relies on vapor compression: a refrigerant absorbs heat from its surroundings as it evaporates at low pressure, then is compressed and condensed to reject that heat elsewhere. Many common refrigerants have high global-warming potential, motivating alternatives that can deliver cooling solutions without circulating these compounds.
To tackle this problem, engineers around the world have been exploring the elastocaloric cooling in shape memory alloys (SMA). Though innovative, SMA present their own challenges as they are expensive, sensitive to environmental damage, and not as durable. Hartquist’s project, titled “Thermomechanics of Strain-Crystallizing Polymer Networks for Elastocaloric Cooling”, sets itself apart for its focus on rubber – a widely available, affordable alternative to SMA.
The SNAP Lab is currently open to inquiries about research openings. For more information, visit the lab website: Hartquist Research Group – Mechanics of Structures, Networks, and Polymers.
Story & Editing by: Katherine Canev
Marketing & Communications Student Assistant
UF Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering