Classification of electrocaloric cooling device types

The research on the electrocaloric effect (ECE), the materials and their application has significantly increased in the last years, which resulted in several different concepts and demonstrators of electrocaloric (EC) cooling devices. The aim of this paper is to give a systematic overview of possible design concepts of EC cooling devices and to provide a method for their classification. Nine different device types could be distinguished. Each device type is being specified according to function principle, characteristic properties, technical challenges and technical readiness level. This classification and state of the art reveal areas requiring deeper research and can help researchers and engineers to select appropriate concepts for further investigation, improvement and application.