KIET GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS GHAZIABAD

SEMINAR REPORT
(27TH SEPTEMBER 2018)
ON

MAGNETIC REFRIGERATION
SUBMITTED BY

VISHAL JAISWAL
(1602940181)

Department of Mechanical Engineering

KIET GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS
GHAZIABAD 201206

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to my seminar guide

Mr. Sandeep Kumar Mishra lecturer, department of
mechanical engineering for his valuable guidance and

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encouragement which has been absolutely helpful in
successful completion of this seminar.

I am indebted to Mr. Subodh Sharma lecturer, department

of mechanical engineering for his valuable support.

I am also grateful to my friends for their timely aid without

which I would not have not finished my seminar
successfully. I extend my thanks to all my well-wishers and
all those who have contributed directly and indirectly to the
completion of this work.
CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
2.1 History
2.2 Magneto Caloric Effect
3. Construction and Working
3.1 Components
3.2 Working principle
3.3 Working
3.4 Proper functioning
4. Requirements for practical applications
4.1 Magnetic materials
4.2 Regenerators
4.3 Superconducting magnets
4.4 Active magnetic regenerators (AMR’s)
5. Applications

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 5.1 A rotary AMR liquefier
5.2 Future Applications
6. Comparison
6.1 Comparison between magnetic refrigeration and conventional refrigeration
6.2 Co-efficient of performance
7. Benefits
7.1 Technical Benefits
7.2 Socio Economic
7.3 Advantages over vapour compression and vapour absorption cycles
7.4 Disadvantages of compression and vapour absorption refrigeration
8. Conclusion
9. References

1.0 ABSTRACT

The objective of this effort is to study the Magnetic Refrigeration which

uses solid materials as the refrigerant. These materials demonstrate the
unique property known as magneto caloric effect, which means that they
increase and decrease in temperature when magnetized/demagnetized.
This effect has been observed for many years and was used for cooling
near absolute zero. Recently materials are being developed which have
sufficient temperature and entropy change to make them useful for a wide
range temperature application. Benefits of magnetic refrigeration are
lower cost, longer life, lower weight and higher efficiency because it only
requires one moving part-the rotating disc on which the magneto caloric
material is mounted. The unit uses no gas compressor, no pumps, no

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working fluid, no valves and no ozone destroying
chlorofluorocarbons/hydro chlorofluorocarbons. potential commercial
applications include cooling of electronics, super conducting components
used in telecommunications equipment, home and commercial
refrigerator ,heat pumps, air conditioning for homes, offices and
automobiles and virtually any places where refrigeration is needed .
2.0 INTRODUCTION

Magnetic refrigeration is a cooling technology based on the magneto caloric effect. This technique
can be used to attain extremely low temperatures (well below 1 kelvin), as well as the ranges used
in common refrigerators, depending on the design of the system.

2.1 HISTORY

The effect was discovered in pure iron in 1881 by E. Warburg. Originally, the cooling effect varied
between 0.5 to 2 K/T.

Major advances first appeared in the late 1920s when cooling via adiabatic demagnetization was
independently proposed by two scientists: Debye (1926) and Giauque (1927).

The process was demonstrated a few years later when Giauque and MacDougall in 1933 used it to
reach a temperature of 0.25 K. Between 1933 and 1997, a number of advances in utilization of
the MCE for cooling occurred.

This cooling technology was first demonstrated experimentally by chemist Nobel Laureate
William F. Giauque and his colleague Dr. D.P. MacDougall in 1933 for cryogenic purposes (they
reached 0.25 K)

Between 1933 and 1997, a number of advances occurred which have been described in some
reviews.

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In 1997, the first near room temperature proof of concept magnetic refrigerator was demonstrated
by Prof. Karl A. Gschneidner, Jr. by the Iowa State University at Ames Laboratory. This event
attracted interest from scientists and companies worldwide that started developing new kinds of
room temperature materials and magnetic refrigerator designs.

Refrigerators based on the magneto caloric effect have been demonstrated in laboratories, using
magnetic fields starting at 0.6 T up to 10 teslas. Magnetic fields above 2 T are difficult to produce
with permanent magnets and are produced by a superconducting magnet (1 tesla is about 20,000
times the Earth's magnetic field).

2.2 MAGNETO CALORIC EFFECT

The Magneto caloric effect (MCE, from magnet and calorie) is a

magnetothermodynamic phenomenon in which a reversible change in temperature
of a suitable material is caused by exposing the material to a changing magnetic field.
This is also known as adiabatic demagnetization by low temperature physicists,
due to the application of the process specifically to affect a temperature drop. In that
part of the overall refrigeration process, a decrease in the strength of an externally
applied magnetic field allows the magnetic domains of a chosen (magnetocaloric)
material to become disoriented from the magnetic field by the agitating action of the
thermal energy (phonons) present in the material. If the material is isolated so that
no energy is allowed to (e) migrate into the material during this time (i.e. an adiabatic
process), the temperature drops as the domains absorb the thermal energy to perform
their reorientation. The randomization of the domains occurs in a similar fashion to
the randomization at the curie temperature, except that magnetic dipoles overcome
a decreasing external magnetic field while energy remains constant, instead of
magnetic domains being disrupted from internal ferromagnetism as energy is added.

Magnetic Refrigeration is also called as Adiabatic Magnetization.

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3.0 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING
3.1 COMPONENTS REQUIRED
1. Magnets
2. Hot Heat exchanger
3. Cold Heat Exchanger
4. Drive
5. Magneto caloric wheel

Figure 1
Magnets: - Magnets are the main functioning element of the magnetic refrigeration. Magnets
provide the magnetic field to the material so that they can lose or gain the heat to the surrounding
and from the space to be cooled respectively.

Hot Heat Exchanger: - The hot heat exchanger absorbs the heat from the material used and gives
off to the surrounding. It makes the transfer of heat much effective.

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Cold Heat Exchanger: -The cold heat exchanger absorbs the heat from the space to be cooled and
gives it to the magnetic material. It helps to make the absorption of heat effective.

Drive: - Drive provides the right rotation to the heat to rightly handle it. Due to this heat flows in
the right desired direction.

Magneto caloric Wheel: - It forms the structure of the whole device. It joins both the two magnets
to work properly.

3.2 WORKING PRINCIPLE

As shown in the figure 2, when the magnetic material is placed in the magnetic field, the
thermometer attached to it shows a high temperature as the temperature of it increases. But on the
other side when the magnetic material is removed from the magnetic field, the thermometer shows
low temperature as its temperature decreases.

Figure 2

3.3 WORKING

The magnetic refrigeration is mainly based on magneto caloric effect according to which some
materials change in temperature when they are magnetized and demagnetized.

Near the phase transition of the magnetic materials, the adiabatic application of a magnetic field
reduces the magnetic entropy by ordering the magnetic moments. This results in a temperature

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increase of the magnetic material. This phenomenon is practically reversible for some magnetic
materials; thus, adiabatic removal of the field revert the magnetic entropy to its original state and
cools the material accordingly. This reversibility combined with the ability to create devices with
inherent work recovery, makes magnetic refrigeration a potentially more efficient process than gas
compression and expansion. The efficiency of magnetic refrigeration can be as much as 50%
greater than for conventional refrigerators.

Figure 3

The process is performed as a refrigeration cycle, analogous to the Carnot cycle, and can be
described at a starting point whereby the chosen working substance is introduced into a magnetic
field (i.e. the magnetic flux density is increased). The working material is the refrigerant, and starts
in thermal equilibrium with the refrigerated environment.

Adiabatic magnetization: The substance is placed in an insulated environment. The

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increasing external magnetic field (+H) causes the magnetic dipoles of the atoms to align, thereby
decreasing the material's magnetic entropy and heat capacity. Since overall energy is not lost (yet)
and therefore total entropy is not reduced (according to thermodynamic laws), the net result is that

the item heats up (T + ΔTad).

Isomagnetic enthalpy transfer: This added heat can then be removed by a fluid like
water or helium for example (-Q). The magnetic field is held constant to prevent the dipoles from
reabsorbing the heat. Once sufficiently cooled, the magnetocaloric material and the coolant are
separated (H=0).

Adiabatic demagnetization: The substance is returned to another adiabatic (insulated)

condition so the total entropy remains constant. However, this time the magnetic field is decreased,
the thermal energy causes the domains to overcome the field, and thus the sample cools (i.e. an
adiabatic temperature change). Energy (and entropy) transfers from thermal entropy to magnetic
entropy (disorder of the magnetic dipoles).

Isomagnetic entropic transfer: The magnetic field is held constant to prevent the

material from heating back up. The material is placed in thermal contact with the environment
being refrigerated. Because the working material is cooler than the refrigerated environment (by
design), heat energy migrates into the working material (+Q). Once the refrigerant and refrigerated
environment is in thermal equilibrium, the cycle begins a new one.

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3.4 PROPER FUNCTIONING

The place we want to cool it, we will apply magnetic field to the material in that place and as its
temperature increases, it will absorb heat from that place and by taking the magnetic material
outside in the surroundings, we will remove the magnetic material from magnetic field and thus it
will lose heat as its temperature decreases and hence the cycle repeats over and again to provide
the cooling effect at the desired place.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS FOR PRATICAL APPLICATIONS

4.1 MAGNETIC MATERIALS
Only a limited number of magnetic materials possess a large enough magneto caloric effect to be
used in practical refrigeration systems. The search for the "best" materials is focused on rare-earth
metals, either in pure form or combined with other metals into alloys and compounds.

The magneto caloric effect is an intrinsic property of a magnetic solid. This thermal response of a
solid to the application or removal of magnetic fields is maximized when the solid is near its
magnetic ordering temperature.

The magnitudes of the magnetic entropy and the adiabatic temperature changes are strongly
dependent upon the magnetic order process: the magnitude is generally small in antiferromagnets,
ferrimagnets and spin glass systems.

Currently, alloys of gadolinium producing 3 to 4 K per tesla of change in a magnetic field can be
used for magnetic refrigeration or power generation purposes.

Recent research on materials that exhibit a giant entropy change showed that Gd5(SixGe1 − x)4,
La (FexSi1 − x)13Hx and MnFeP1 − xAsx alloys, for example, are some of the most promising substitutes
for Gadolinium and its alloys (GdDy, GdTy, etc...). These materials are called giant magneto
caloric effect materials (GMCE).

Gadolinium and its alloys are the best material available today for magnetic refrigeration near room
temperature since they undergo second-order phase transitions which have no magnetic or thermal
hysteresis involved.

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4.2 REGENERATORS

Magnetic refrigeration requires excellent heat transfer to and from the solid magnetic material.
Efficient heat transfer requires the large surface areas offered by porous materials. When these
porous solids are used in refrigerators, they are referred to as "regenerators”. Typical regenerator
geometries include: (a) Tubes
(b) Perforated plates
(c) Wire screens(d) Particle beds

Figure 4

4.3 SUPER CONDUCTING MAGNETS

Most practical magnetic refrigerators are based on superconducting magnets operating at cryogenic
temperatures (i.e., at -269 C or 4 K). These devices are electromagnets that conduct electricity with
essentially no resistive losses. The superconducting wire most commonly used is made of a
Niobium-Titanium alloy.
Only superconducting magnets can provide sufficiently strong magnetic fields for most
refrigeration applications. A typical field strength is 8 Tesla (approximately 150,000 times the
Earth's magnetic field).An 8 Tesla field can produce a magneto caloric temperature change of up
to 15 C in some rare-earth materials.

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Figure 5
4.4 Active Magnetic Regenerators (AMR's)
A regenerator that undergoes cyclic heat transfer operations and the magneto caloric effect is called
an Active Magnetic Regenerator (AMR).An AMR should be designed to possess the following
attributes:
These requirements are often contradictory, making AMR's difficult to design and fabricate.
1. High heat transfer rate
2. Low pressure drop of the heat transfer fluid
3. High magneto caloric effect
4. Sufficient structural integrity
5. Low thermal conduction in the direction of fluid flow
6. Low porosity
7. Affordable materials
8. Ease of manufacture

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5.0 APPLICATIONS

5.1 A rotary AMR liquefier

The Cryofuel Systems Group is developing an AMR refrigerator for the purpose of liquefying
natural gas. A rotary configuration is used to move magnetic material into and out of a
superconducting magnet.
This technology can also be extended to the liquefaction of hydrogen.

Figure 6

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5.2 Future Applications
In general, at the present stage of the development of magnetic refrigerators with permanent
magnets, hardly any freezing applications are feasible. These results, because large temperature
spans occur between the heat source and the heat sink.
An option to realize magnetic freezing applications could be the use of superconducting magnets.
However, this may only be economic in the case of rather large refrigeration units. Such are used
for freezing, e.g. in cooling plants in the food industry or in large marine freezing applications
Some of the future applications are

1. Magnetic household refrigeration appliances

2. Magnetic cooling and air conditioning in buildings and houses
3. Central cooling system
4. Refrigeration in medicine
5. Cooling in food industry and storage
6. Cooling in transportation
7. Cooling of electronics

6.0 COMPARISON
6.1 Comparison between magnetic refrigeration and conventional refrigeration
The magneto caloric effect can be utilized in a thermodynamic cycle to produce refrigeration.
Such a cycle is analogous to conventional gas-compression refrigeration

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 Figure 7

6.1 Co-efficient of Performance:

Co-efficient of Performance of magnetic refrigeration is given by the equation
COP= Qc/Win

Qc is the cooling power i.e. the heat absorbed from the cold end.
Win is the work input into magnetic refrigerator.
7.0 BENEFITS

7.1 TECHNICAL

High efficiency: - As the magneto caloric effect is highly reversible, the thermodynamic efficiency
of the magnetic refrigerator is high. It is somewhat 50% more than Vapour Compression cycle.
Reduced operating cost: - As it eliminates the most inefficient part of today’s refrigerator i.e.
comp. The cost reduces as a result.
Compactness: - It is possible to achieve high energy density compact device. It is due to the reason
that in case of magnetic refrigeration the working substance is a solid material (say gadolinium)
and not a gas as in case of vapour compression cycles.

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Reliability: - Due to the absence of gas, it reduces concerns related to the emission into the
atmosphere and hence is reliable one.

7.2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC

Competition in global market: -Research in this field will provide the opportunity so that new
industries can be set up which may be capable of competing the global or international market.
Low capital cost: -The technique will reduce the cost as the most inefficient part comp. is not
there and hence the initial low capital cost of the equipment.
Key factor to new technologies:-If the training and hard wares are developed in this field they
will be the key factor for new emerging technologies in this world.

.3 ADVANTAGES OVER VAPOUR COMPRESSION AND VAPOR ABSORPTION CYCLE

CYCLES

Magnetic refrigeration performs essentially the same task as traditional compression-cycle gas
refrigeration technology. Heat and cold are not different qualities; cold is merely the relative
absence of heat. In both technologies, cooling is the subtraction of heat from one place (the interior
of a home refrigerator is one commonplace example) and the dumping of that heat another place
(a home refrigerator releases its heat into the surrounding air). As more and more heat is subtracted
from this target, cooling occurs. Traditional refrigeration systems - whether air-conditioning,
freezers or other forms - use gases that are alternately expanded and compressed to perform the
transfer of heat. Magnetic refrigeration systems do the same job, but with metallic compounds, not
gases. Compounds of the element gadolinium are most commonly used in magnetic refrigeration,
although other compounds can also be used.

Magnetic refrigeration is seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional vapour

cycle refrigeration. And as it eliminates the need for the most inefficient part of today's
refrigerators, the compressor, it should save costs. New materials described in this issue may bring
practical magneto caloric cooling a step closer. A large magnetic entropy change has been found

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to occur in MnFeP0.45As0.55 at room temperature, making it an attractive candidate for commercial
applications in magnetic refrigeration.

The added advantages of MR over Gas Compression Refrigerator are compactness, and higher
reliability due to Solid working materials instead of a gas, and fewer and much slower moving
parts our work in this field is geared toward the development of magnetic alloys with MCEs, and
phase transitions temperatures suitable for hydrogen liquefaction from Room temperature down to
20 K.

7.4 Disadvantages of vapour00 compression and vapour absorption refrigeration 1.

Produces toxic gases and chloro-fluoro carbon, thus reducing ozone layer depletion.
2. Very low temperature of order 001K cannot be achieved.
3. The unit produces noise and vibration compared to magnetic refrigerators.
4. Compressor is needed to produce required pressure.
5. An unnecessarily large motor is required to overcome the inertia of the stationary compressor in
case of heavy load applications.

6. Large torque loads are placed on the motor, compressor mounts, bearings and belts at start up.
7. In the lithium bromide absorption refrigeration system, lithium bromide is corrosive in nature and
in case of the ammonia system, ammonia is toxic, flammable.

9.0 CONCLUSION
Magnetic refrigeration is a technology that has proven to be environmentally safe.
Computer models have shown 25% efficiency improvement over vapour
compression systems. In order to make the Magnetic Refrigerator commercially

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 viable, scientists need to know how to achieve larger temperature swings. Two
advantages to using Magnetic Refrigeration over vapour compressed systems are no
hazardous chemicals used and they can be up to 60% efficient.

There are still some thermal and magnetic hysteresis problems to be solved for these
first-order phase transition materials that exhibit the GMCE to become really useful;
this is a subject of current research. This effect is currently being explored to produce
better refrigeration techniques, especially for use in spacecraft. This technique is
already used to achieve cryogenic temperatures in the laboratory setting (below
10K).

REFRENCES

1. Lounasmaa, experimental principles and methods, academic press

2. Richardson and Smith, experimental techniques in condensed matter physics at low temperature, Addison
Wesley (2003)
3. A text book on cryogenic engineering by V.J.Johnson
4. “Refrigeration and Air conditioning” by Arora and Domkundwar
5. Magnetic Refrigeration, ASHRAE Journal (2007), by John Dieckmann, Kurt Roth and James Brodrick

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