Irish deep-tech company Exergyn has opened a center in Zdiby, Central Bohemia, focused on developing advanced shape-memory alloys for a new generation of heat pumps that do not use traditional refrigerants. Technology based on the solid-state principle is expected to enable the operation of heat pumps in the future without traditional refrigerant gases, which contribute significantly to global warming.
According to Exergyn, leaks of fluorinated refrigerants from traditional heat pumps and air conditioning systems represent one of the major problems of current building heating and cooling technologies. At the same time, European industry is seeking new technologies to help meet increasingly stringent climate and regulatory requirements related to the decarbonization of buildings and the energy sector.
Exergyn is therefore developing a system that replaces traditional refrigerants with a solid core made of a nickel-titanium shape-memory alloy. This material generates a heating effect when mechanically compressed and, conversely, produces a cooling effect when released. In the future, this technology could eliminate the need for fluorinated refrigerants used in conventional heat pumps and air conditioning systems.
“The current world of heat pumps and air conditioning relies on refrigerant gases. But we believe that in the future, it can function without them. If we successfully bring our technology to market, it will be the world’s first refrigerant-free heat pump with zero refrigerant impact on global warming,” says Dr. Kevin O’Toole, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Exergyn.
The company has been operating in the Czech Republic for nearly ten years. What began as a small research team, lead by Dr. Jan Pilch, has gradually grown into a specialized facility focused on developing materials for energy applications. The new center in Zdiby was designed specifically for the research and prototyping of shape-memory alloys and includes specialized laboratory and technological equipment for developing a new generation of materials. According to Exergyn, the facility, which cost over 2 million euros, is the only one of its kind in the world.
“The Czech Republic has an exceptionally strong foundation in materials science and the quality of technical education. It was precisely this combination of technical know-how, top-tier universities, and available experts that was the main reason we built our global center for shape-memory alloy research in Zdiby. The Prague area boasts a unique concentration of expertise that we found very difficult to match elsewhere in Europe,” adds Mark Connolly, Chief Operating Officer of Exergyn.
“Exergyn is banking on Czech excellence in the fields of materials science, laboratory research, and the development of new materials. It is precisely the combination of cutting-edge research, technical know-how, and collaboration with Czech universities that makes this project an exceptionally significant investment with high added value for the Czech Republic,” says René Samek, Director of the Investment and Foreign Activities Division at CzechInvest.
Exergyn currently holds more than 100 patents and is collaborating on the development of a new generation of heat pumps with Carrier Corporation, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of heating, cooling, and air conditioning technologies. The partnership is focused on commercializing solid-state heat pump technology without traditional refrigerants. “What is being created in Zdiby is not just another development center. It is a technology that could fundamentally transform the way buildings are heated and cooled in Europe and around the world. That is why the world’s largest players in the field of heating and cooling technologies are showing interest in this development,” says Mark Connolly.
According to the company, the first commercial deployment of the technology could come within the next few years. In the initial phase, Exergyn is focusing primarily on residential and commercial buildings, but it also sees potential in data centers and other energy-intensive operations in the future.
While materials research and development of shape-memory alloys is conducted in Zdiby, the Irish headquarters and UK engineering teams are handling further engineering development, simulation, and integration of the technology into the final heat pump system.