Researchers have developed a new generation of environmentally friendly cooling technologies. By specifically optimizing magnetic cooling materials, they can significantly increase efficiency and sustainability. This could make climate-friendly cooling without harmful refrigerants a reality.
Climate change is increasing extreme weather conditions worldwide, including long and intense heat and dry waves. As a result, the need for cooling systems is growing rapidly.
In Germany alone, the market volume for air conditioning systems is forecast to reach a value of around 437 million euros. This would result in annual sales growth of around seven percent by then.
But the growing use of conventional air conditioning devices brings with it new environmental problems. Many systems consume large amounts of energy and use refrigerants that act as strong greenhouse gases or pollute the environment if disposed of improperly.
Since increased cooling further increases the very global warming it is intended to mitigate, scientists around the world are working on environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional coolants. Researchers at TU Darmstadt have now succeeded in making magnetic cooling materials more sustainable and efficient.
Magnetic cooling materials for climate-friendly cooling
In an international consortium, researchers from TU Darmstadt, including scientists from the National Institute for Materials Science and the Kyoto Institute of Technology from Japan, researched the use of magnetic cooling materials for more environmentally friendly cooling. The results of their study have now been published in the scientific journal Advanced Materials published.
The researchers used the magnetocaloric effect for their investigations. This causes temperature changes in certain materials when they are exposed to a magnetic field.
However, this effect has not yet been successfully used for cooling. Because materials with high cooling performance often lead to rapid energy losses, which also determines the cooling performance. have impaired.
The researchers in the international consortium have now succeeded in minimizing precisely these irreversible energy losses. A compound made from gadolinium and germanium was used.
New material design increases cooling performance
The research team replaced some of the germanium in their compound with tin atoms. This allowed the scientists to change the internal atomic structure of the material in such a way that energy losses could be significantly limited.
This allowed the material to maintain its cooling performance over repeated heating and cooling. The researchers were also able to increase the efficiency of the material.
This can now change its temperature by up to eight degrees Celsius without absorbing or releasing heat from outside. Previously it was only 3.8 degrees Celsius, so the changed material cools more than twice as much and remains stable and reliable.
The researchers believe that this breakthrough paves the way for sustainable and high-performance magnetic refrigerants. Since the material works efficiently, especially at extremely low temperatures in the range of around -233 degrees Celsius to -113 degrees Celsius, it is particularly suitable for the liquefaction of gases such as hydrogen, nitrogen and natural gas.
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