Title: Thermodynamic and exergy efficiencies of magnetocaloric energy conversion utilising industrial waste heat

Authors: D Vuarnoz; A. Kitanovski; C. Gonin; P.W. Egolf

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1, Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, 657-8501 Kobe, Japan ' Laboratory for Refrigeration, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia ' Institute of Thermal Sciences and Engineering IGT, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, Route de Cheseaux 1, CH 1401 Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland ' Institute of Thermal Sciences and Engineering IGT, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, Route de Cheseaux 1, CH 1401 Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland

Abstract: An investigation under which conditions industrial waste heat utilised with magnetic energy conversion machines can be a possible alternative to conventional energy conversion technologies is presented. The application of a numerical model leads to the thermodynamic efficiency, the exergy efficiency, and approximate values of the total mass and the total volume of a magnetic energy conversion machine. The exergy efficiency depends strongly on the magnetic field strength. A high frequency of operation reduces the mass and volume of a device. Magnetic energy conversion may beat conventional technologies, especially if large low-exergy heat sources are at ones disposal.

Keywords: magnetic energy conversion; exergy efficiency; thermodynamic efficiency; magnetocaloric energy conversion; industrial waste heat; numerical simulation; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2012.047508

International Journal of Exergy, 2012 Vol.10 No.4, pp.365 - 378

Received: 10 Oct 2011
Accepted: 10 Oct 2011
Published online: 25 Jun 2012 *

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