Looking for Energy Losses of a Rotary Permanent Magnet Magnetic Refrigerator to Optimize Its Performances

Angelo Maiorino, Antongiulio Mauro, Manuel Gesù Del Duca, Adrián Mota-Babiloni and Ciro Aprea
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Angelo Maiorino: Department of Industrial Engineering, Università di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano, 84084 Salerno, Italy
Antongiulio Mauro: Department of Industrial Engineering, Università di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano, 84084 Salerno, Italy
Manuel Gesù Del Duca: Department of Industrial Engineering, Università di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano, 84084 Salerno, Italy
Adrián Mota-Babiloni: ISTENER Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construction, Campus de Riu Sec s/n, Universitat Jaume I, E-12071 Castelló de la Plana, Spain
Ciro Aprea: Department of Industrial Engineering, Università di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano, 84084 Salerno, Italy

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-21

Abstract: In this paper, an extensive study on the energy losses of a magnetic refrigerator prototype developed at University of Salerno, named ‘8MAG’, is carried out with the aim to improve the performance of such a system. The design details of ‘8MAG’ evidences both mechanical and thermal losses, which are mainly attributed to the eddy currents generation into the support of the regenerators (magnetocaloric wheel) and the parasitic heat load of the rotary valve. The latter component is fundamental since it imparts the direction of the heat transfer fluid distribution through the regenerators and it serves as a drive shaft for the magnetic assembly. The energy losses concerning eddy currents and parasitic heat load are evaluated by two uncoupled models, which are validated by experimental data obtained with different operating conditions. Then, the achievable coefficient of performance (COP) improvements of ‘8MAG’ are estimated, showing that reducing eddy currents generation (by changing the material of the magnetocaloric wheel) and the parasitic heat load (enhancing the insulation of the rotary valve) can lead to increase the COP from 2.5 to 2.8 (+12.0%) and 3.0 (+20%), respectively, and to 3.3 (+32%), combining both improvements, with an hot source temperature of 22 °C and 2 K of temperature span.

Keywords: magnetic refrigeration; magneto-caloric effect; coefficient of performance; eddy currents; experimental; parasitic heat load; modelling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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