A Preisach-Based Nonequilibrium Methodology for Simulating Performance of Hysteretic Magnetic Refrigeration Cycles
Academic Article
Overview
Research
Identity
Additional Document Info
Other
View All
Overview
abstract
2015, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. In giant magnetocaloric effect (GMCE) materials a large entropy change couples to a magnetostructural first-order phase transition, potentially providing a basis for magnetic refrigeration cycles. However, hysteresis loss greatly reduces the availability of refrigeration work in such cycles. Here, we present a methodology combining a Preisach model for rate-independent hysteresis with a thermodynamic analysis of nonequilibrium phase transformations which, for GMCE materials exhibiting hysteresis, allows an evaluation of refrigeration work and efficiency terms for an arbitrary cycle. Using simplified but physically meaningful descriptors for the magnetic and thermal properties of a Ni45Co5Mn36.6In13.4 at.% single-crystal alloy, we relate these work/efficiency terms to fundamental material properties, demonstrating the methods use as a materials design tool. Following a simple two-parameter model for the alloys hysteresis properties, we compute and interpret the effect of each parameter on the cyclic refrigeration work and efficiency terms. We show that hysteresis loss is a critical concern in cycles based on GMCE systems, since the resultant lost work can reduce the refrigeration work to zero; however, we also find that the lost work may be mitigated by modifying other aspects of the transition, such as the width over which the one-way transformation occurs.
