31/05/2017
A news suggested by TU Darmstadt, highlighting a magnetocaloric cooling device using recycled NdFeB magnets
Magnetocaloric devices hold the potential to satisfy the rising demand for cooling in the future. One of the challenges remaining is to reduce the high ecological footprint of the permanent magnets driving the magnetic cooling cycle. Existing devices use neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB)-type permanent magnets, which account for more than 50% of the ecological footprint of the appliance. To overcome this hurdle, TU Darmstadt and Urban Mining Company have built the first working magnetocaloric demonstrator that uses recycled NdFeB as a magnetic field source. Coupling this with the optimization of the magnets and their geometry, it is possible to further reduce the ecological footprint. Together, these two approaches help to position magnetic cooling as a realistic and sustainable cooling technology.
Read more on TU Darmstadt.