Energy Harvesting A Nano-Scale Based Magneto-Thermal-Electric Element.

摘要

In this study we investigated/developed innovative thermomagnetic harvesting methods and materials that transduce waste heat into electrical energy . Initially we focused on gadolinium (Gd) single domain nanostructures which we predicted to have a thermomagnetic harvesting efficiency of approximately 30% of the Carnot limit. In this study, we discovered that more ordered transitions led to higher transduction efficiencies. Utilizing this phenomenon, we explored the effect of order-to-order spin reorientation harvesting in neodymium cobalt (NdCo5). Analytical modeling showed that NdCo5 could achieve an energy density greater than 2 MJ/m3 with an efficiency of approximately 22% of the Carnot limit. This report overviews the body of literature related to the thermomagnetic field, provides a detailed analysis of the UCLA modeling effort, and describes fabrication and testing techniques used to create and evaluate nano-structured thermomagnetic materials. This work should encourage others in the community to begin a closer evaluation of thermomagnetic energy harvesting methods.