Magnetocaloric heat circulator based on self-heat recuperation technology

A concept of a novel magnetocaloric heat circulator based on self-heat recuperation technology for application in thermal processing is proposed. In the heat circulator, process heat is recirculated by using the magnetocaloric effect of ferromagnetic materials subjected to cyclic magnetization and demagnetization. The ferromagnetic material is magnetized or demagnetized adiabatically at the highest or lowest process temperature to create the temperature difference required for heat exchange so that all heat is recirculated inside the thermal process without heat addition. The magnetocaloric heat circulation cycle has been analyzed in terms of the temperature entropy diagram to evaluate its energy consumption. Simulation has been conducted to clarify the theoretical potentials of applying magnetocaloric effect to self-heat recuperation. The simulation results show that the total energy consumption of the magnetocaloric heat circulator is reduced below 1/5 compared to conventional processes with heat recovery, thus showing its potential for energy saving in thermal processes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.