Magnetic power conversion with machines containing full or porous wheel heat exchangers

A first part of the article contains a thermodynamic theory describing the temperature distribution in a Curie wheel. The occurring nonlinear ordinary differential equation has an analytical solution. If a Curie wheel is stabilized by levitation, it is named Palmy wheel. These wheels show a full str...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials 2009-04, Vol.321 (7), p.758-762
Main Authors: Egolf, Peter W., Kitanovski, Andrej, Diebold, Marc, Gonin, Cyrill, Vuarnoz, Didier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Curie wheel
Energy conversion
Magnetocaloric material
Palmy wheel
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Summary:A first part of the article contains a thermodynamic theory describing the temperature distribution in a Curie wheel. The occurring nonlinear ordinary differential equation has an analytical solution. If a Curie wheel is stabilized by levitation, it is named Palmy wheel. These wheels show a full structure, and because of this reason, their uptake of heat from a flame (Curie wheel) or by (solar) light absorption (Palmy wheel) only on the periphery of a cylinder is very limited. To improve the method, a modification of the principle by introducing a convective heat transport into a porous wheel is discussed. By this the power conversion rate from a heat flux to mechanical and electric power is very much increased. The second part of the article presents results of a theoretical/numerical study on the efficiencies of magnetic power conversion plants operating with porous wheels. Furthermore, these efficiencies—which are promising—are compared with those of existing power conversion plants, as e.g. geothermal binary cycle power plants.
ISSN:0304-8853
DOI:10.1016/j.jmmm.2008.11.044