Simulation-based performance assessment of an elastocaloric heat-pump system for residential cooling in Mediterranean regions

This study presents a dynamic numerical investigation of a solid-state heat pump based on a rotary elastocaloric device developed at the University of Naples Federico II. The behavior of the experimental prototype was modelled in COMSOL Multiphysics, and its performance was subsequently coupled with a TRNSYS dynamic simulation to evaluate operation under realistic boundary conditions for the Mediterranean climate of Naples (Italy). A conventional vapour-compression air-conditioning for a single-room office was modelled under the same thermal and boundary conditions to provide a direct and consistent performance benchmark. Several operating scenarios were analyzed for the elastocaloric device by varying air velocity and cycle frequency to identify optimal configurations for cooling and heating modes. Results show that the elastocaloric heat pump achieves its best performance at a frequency of 0.5 Hz and moderate air velocities (9–12 m s−1), yielding a temperature span of 22 K, an equivalent COP of approximately 6.5, and up to 80% lower annual energy consumption than a conventional vapour-compression system. The COMSOL–TRNSYS framework works well to integrate the elastocaloric regenerator's thermal behavior with the heat-pump system's dynamic performance. The results obtained with this approach demonstrate that an elastocaloric heat pump could be a good long-term, refrigerant-free option for small-scale air conditioning.