Efficient and affordable thermomagnetic materials for harvesting low grade waste heat

Dzekan D, Waske A, Nielsch K, Faehler S (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

APL Materials American Institute of Physics

Book Volume: 9

Article Number: 011105

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1063/5.0033970

Abstract

Industrial processes release substantial quantities of waste heat, which can be harvested to generate electricity. At present, the conversion of low grade waste heat to electricity relies solely on thermoelectric materials, but such materials are expensive and have low thermodynamic efficiencies. Although thermomagnetic materials may offer a promising alternative, their performance remains to be evaluated, thereby hindering their real-world application. Here, the efficiency and cost effectiveness of thermomagnetic materials are evaluated for the usage in motors, oscillators, and generators for converting waste heat to electricity. The analysis reveals that up to temperature differences of several 10 K, the best thermomagnetic materials have the potential to compete with thermoelectric materials. Importantly, it is found that the price per watt of some thermomagnetic materials is much lower compared to that of present-day thermoelectrics, which can become competitive with conventional power plants. This materials library enables the selection of the best available thermomagnetic materials for harvesting waste heat and gives guidelines for their future development.

Involved external institutions

Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden e.V. (IFW) / Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden DE Germany (DE) Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Dzekan, D., Waske, A., Nielsch, K., & Faehler, S. (2021). Efficient and affordable thermomagnetic materials for harvesting low grade waste heat. APL Materials, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0033970

MLA:

Dzekan, Daniel, et al. "Efficient and affordable thermomagnetic materials for harvesting low grade waste heat." APL Materials 9.1 (2021).

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