Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory have developed a magnetocaloric heat pump that rivals vapor-compression heat pumps in terms of weight, cost, and performance. This breakthrough technology can reduce refrigerant emissions and energy consumption. Traditionally, magnetocaloric devices have been heavier, more expensive, and less efficient than vapor-compression devices. Julie Slaughter, the research team leader, explained that their team began by assessing the existing magnetocaloric devices and then pushed the technology to its limits. The team designed a magnetocaloric heat pump that utilizes spinning permanent magnets and magnetic steel to contain the magnetic field, making it more power-dense. They also evaluated the performance of two common magnetocaloric materials, gadolinium and lanthanum-iron-silicon-hydride-based material. The team optimized the design to reduce the amount of permanent magnet material and magnetic steel needed, making the device more efficient and affordable. The result is a magnetocaloric heat pump that is competitive with vapor-compression devices in terms of weight, cost, and performance. This research is published in the journal “Scalable and compact magnetocaloric heat pump technology”.
Next-Generation Cooling Tech on the Rise to Displace Traditional Vapor Compression
