Next-Generation Cooling Technologies: Integrating Advanced Materials, Thermal Engineering and Climate Adaptation

Ir. Muhammad Idrus Alhamid

Next-Generation Cooling Technologies: Integrating Advanced Materials, Thermal Engineering and Climate Adaptation

Author(s)	Dr. Ir. Muhammad Idrus Alhamid
Country	United States
Abstract	Rising ambient temperatures, urban heat accumulation, expanding digital infrastructure, and growing expectations for indoor thermal comfort are intensifying global demand for cooling. Conventional vapor-compression systems remain essential, but their electricity consumption, peak-load effects, refrigerant emissions, and dependence on centralized energy infrastructure create significant environmental and resilience concerns. This study develops an interdisciplinary framework for evaluating next-generation cooling technologies through the combined perspectives of advanced materials, thermal engineering, and climate adaptation. The technologies examined include passive radiative cooling, phase-change materials, thermoelectric systems, elastocaloric and magnetocaloric cooling, desiccant-assisted dehumidification, advanced heat exchangers, district cooling, and intelligent hybrid systems. A simulation-based multicriteria methodology was used because no original experimental or field dataset was available. Eight cooling pathways were evaluated across energy efficiency, climate suitability, environmental safety, technical maturity, scalability, cost accessibility, and resilience during extreme heat. The normalized results suggest that no single technology performs optimally under every climatic and operational condition. Passive radiative cooling achieved the strongest simulated performance in dry, high-solar environments, whereas desiccant-assisted hybrid cooling was more suitable for hot and humid climates. Phase-change materials offered considerable value for peak-load shifting, while solid-state caloric technologies demonstrated long-term potential but remained constrained by material durability and system-level maturity. Integrated adaptive portfolios consistently performed more favorably than isolated technologies. The study concludes that future cooling systems should be designed as climate-responsive thermal ecosystems rather than as stand-alone mechanical appliances. Material properties, building envelopes, thermal storage, humidity control, renewable electricity, intelligent operation, and public-health priorities must be coordinated. Such integration can reduce electricity demand, improve heat resilience, extend cooling access, and support a more equitable transition toward low-carbon thermal comfort.
Keywords	next-generation cooling; passive radiative cooling; phase-change materials; thermal engineering; climate adaptation; solid-state cooling; heat resilience; intelligent cooling systems
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-04-29

View / Download PDF File

About AJAMRI Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+1-872-302-3851	editor@ajamri.com

American Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Next-Generation Cooling Technologies: Integrating Advanced Materials, Thermal Engineering and Climate Adaptation

Share this