Towards a MagnetoCaloric Cooling System: Using Interactions of Magnetic Fields & Magnetic Fluids

Increasing energy consumption has been a major concern on a global scale over the past few decades. A large chunk of resources is required to meet the daily household energy requirements, such as cooling and refrigeration. To overcome this issue, several alternative technologies have been explored by researchers that can achieve the desired objectives at less energy inputs. Magnetic refrigeration is one such technology that functions with low electricity consumption and ecologically superior materials. It operates essentially on the Magneto-Caloric Effect (MCE) which exhibits an increase/decrease in temperature of
specific materials under varying magnetic fields.

In the present work, one such implementation of the magnetic refrigeration method is addressed with the help of a numerical framework. To be specific, a computational study is performed for the design and development of a novel MCE based room temperature cooling device. In addition to the existing perks of magnetic refrigeration, the present device is aimed to operate without any external mechanical motion. This is achieved using the mixture of a Magneto-Caloric Material (MCM) and a heat transfer fluid along with an externally applied magnetic field. After a detailed review, Calorivac - H (LaFeMnSiH) is finalized as MCM, whereas Galinstan (GaInSn-68.5%21.5%10%) is used as heat transfer fluid for the current work. The focus of this research is to create an accurate and efficient numerical tool that can predict the complex behaviour of magnetic fluids and magnetic fields under different operating conditions.


By doing so, we aim to enhance our understanding of room temperature magnetic cooling and explore its full potential for future applications. To conclude, the present work offers great insights on the performance of MCE based room temperature cooling devices. The results reported in the present work can be used as a foundation to further improve the efficiency and compactness of future prototypes. In addition, the developed numerical tools can be effectively used for understanding the hydro-thermal response of any generic system that involves the interplay of magnetic fluids and external magnetic fields.