New Reversible Air-conditioning Magnetocaloric System, Environmentally Friendly and Highly Energy Efficient 2009-01-0313

This paper presents a new system, environmentally friendly and energy efficient, based on a recent technological breakthrough: “magnetocaloric cooling around room temperature.” This new system is intended for “Automotive” applications to serve as reversible air conditioning and/or for keeping the pack-battery at desired temperature. This system replaces the classical compressor. The expected benefits are: increased energy efficiency (the coefficient of performance “COP” is increased), reduced consumption of fuel or electricity (electro-chemical battery, fuel cells), reduction of corresponding pollutant emissions and of any direct emission of pollutants. This cooling, heating and air conditioning system presents also a better protection of the atmosphere by removing all refrigerant gases.

In this paper the magnetocaloric effect which is the scientific base of this new technology will be presented as well as magnetocaloric materials and magnetic systems. The specific magnetothermal heat exchange cycles used in automotive applications will also describe. The performance: the range of ambient temperatures and the temperature span between the “Hot” sink and the “Cold” sink, as well as the useful power (Cooling & Heating), the energy performance (COP) and the availability of components will also be presented and explained. Furthermore, a magnetocaloric demonstrator will be exposed and its first performance described.