Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MCD (Highly efficient and sustainable refrigeration based on solid state Magnetic Cooling Device)
Período documentado: 2022-06-01 hasta 2023-09-30
The cooling sector accounts for 10% of today’s global greenhouse gas emissions. With the current climate crisis, the demand for air conditioners and refrigerators is destined to increase, creating a vicious cycle. It is estimated that roughly 9 gigatons of CO2 equivalent will be emitted by the cooling sector if this does not undergo any significant changes. Some of the traditional refrigerants have also been linked with ozone-depletion, which intensifies the strength of UV light, and is harmful for life on this planet. It is pivotal to phase out these substances as quickly as possible.
At MAGNOTHERM we work towards the future of sustainable cooling, and together with the European Commission we want to develop green, non-explosive and reliable cooling devices.
Our project, MCD, focuses on the conception, development, and commercialization of Magnetocaloric Devices, which rely on permanent magnets, special magnetic materials, and water as a cooling fluid. Our devices eliminate the dependance on high-GWP gases such as R-134a, as well as unsafe and explosive gases like butane.
The materials that we use in our devices have a special thermodynamic property: they heat up when exposed to a magnetic field (they are subject to the magnetocaloric effect), and cool down once the field is removed. We can utilize this effect by magnetizing the material, removing the heat through water and a heat exchanger, then removing the magnet, to generate lower temperatures. By amplifying and repeating this effect using active magnet regenerators (AMRs), which are 3D-printed parts where the fluids are channeled, we can reach the ideal temperatures to preserve food and drinks, and potentially generate enough cooling power to be viable in the hydrogen liquefaction chain.
MAGNOTHERM intends to compete in the commercial refrigeration sector, proposing a plug-in display cabinet for the grocery stores and the beverage sector: we have collected some positive interest from market leaders and have partnered in a few pilot projects in the past year.
At MAGNOTHERM we work towards the future of sustainable cooling, and together with the European Commission we want to develop green, non-explosive and reliable cooling devices.
Our project, MCD, focuses on the conception, development, and commercialization of Magnetocaloric Devices, which rely on permanent magnets, special magnetic materials, and water as a cooling fluid. Our devices eliminate the dependance on high-GWP gases such as R-134a, as well as unsafe and explosive gases like butane.
The materials that we use in our devices have a special thermodynamic property: they heat up when exposed to a magnetic field (they are subject to the magnetocaloric effect), and cool down once the field is removed. We can utilize this effect by magnetizing the material, removing the heat through water and a heat exchanger, then removing the magnet, to generate lower temperatures. By amplifying and repeating this effect using active magnet regenerators (AMRs), which are 3D-printed parts where the fluids are channeled, we can reach the ideal temperatures to preserve food and drinks, and potentially generate enough cooling power to be viable in the hydrogen liquefaction chain.
MAGNOTHERM intends to compete in the commercial refrigeration sector, proposing a plug-in display cabinet for the grocery stores and the beverage sector: we have collected some positive interest from market leaders and have partnered in a few pilot projects in the past year.
In the previous months we have launched POLARIS, the first commercially available magnetocaloric cooler. We have improved our design, increased the performance, and reduced the noise of our prototypes. Although our technology is not as efficient as a conventional refrigerator yet, we have assessed that the potential for energy efficiency improvement is significant, and there is evidence that magnetocaloric devices could become up to 40% more efficient than compression-based refrigerators.
To get more into detail, we have reviewed a large quantity of data on pumps, to understand the optimal flow and the pump efficiency, and we have perfected our hydraulic circuit to be able to work with 4 AMRs, two hot and two cold units. The fluid in our devices follows one single loop of hot and cold.
A lot of work has also been done on the electronics in the system, on the motor, and the magnet design: we are working towards achieving several certifications in safety, efficiency, and noise levels. These improvements have been measured and certified by third parties, which is encouraging for future development.
To complement the improvements on the hardware side, our devices have also been connected to our internal cloud, so that a series of KPIs can be monitored at any time. We have internal dashboards that keep track of temperature span, cooling power and component performance.
To add onto our discoveries, we have started experimenting with LaFeSi, an alloy of lanthanum, iron and silicon that has good magnetocaloric properties, together with easy-to-find and affordable elements. This material, which is originally a powder, is compacted into cubes with microchannels, to allow the fluid to be pumped through the material.
We have patented the process of coating our LaFeSi with copper to prevent corrosion and identified some possible geometries for the microchannels. We are also constantly in talks with several suppliers, and experimenting with different ways of producing LaFeSi, such as 3D-printing and extrusion of regenerators.
We have recently developed prototypes with a hybrid gadolinium/LaFeSi solution, as well as pure LaFeSi-powered units. Monitoring those prototypes has produced interesting results that will be pivotal to upscale our material production.
As a next step, we intend to upscale our technology to fit into the traditional cabinets used by supermarkets and beverage coolers and stabilize some bottlenecks on our supply chain. In the future, we plan to work with recycled magnets, that may come from wind farms, to contribute to a more circular economy.
To get more into detail, we have reviewed a large quantity of data on pumps, to understand the optimal flow and the pump efficiency, and we have perfected our hydraulic circuit to be able to work with 4 AMRs, two hot and two cold units. The fluid in our devices follows one single loop of hot and cold.
A lot of work has also been done on the electronics in the system, on the motor, and the magnet design: we are working towards achieving several certifications in safety, efficiency, and noise levels. These improvements have been measured and certified by third parties, which is encouraging for future development.
To complement the improvements on the hardware side, our devices have also been connected to our internal cloud, so that a series of KPIs can be monitored at any time. We have internal dashboards that keep track of temperature span, cooling power and component performance.
To add onto our discoveries, we have started experimenting with LaFeSi, an alloy of lanthanum, iron and silicon that has good magnetocaloric properties, together with easy-to-find and affordable elements. This material, which is originally a powder, is compacted into cubes with microchannels, to allow the fluid to be pumped through the material.
We have patented the process of coating our LaFeSi with copper to prevent corrosion and identified some possible geometries for the microchannels. We are also constantly in talks with several suppliers, and experimenting with different ways of producing LaFeSi, such as 3D-printing and extrusion of regenerators.
We have recently developed prototypes with a hybrid gadolinium/LaFeSi solution, as well as pure LaFeSi-powered units. Monitoring those prototypes has produced interesting results that will be pivotal to upscale our material production.
As a next step, we intend to upscale our technology to fit into the traditional cabinets used by supermarkets and beverage coolers and stabilize some bottlenecks on our supply chain. In the future, we plan to work with recycled magnets, that may come from wind farms, to contribute to a more circular economy.
Our key needs going forward are the following:
• IP protection – we have already been granted two patents in Europe, US and Asia, and we are currently filing for 3 new invention disclosures. It will be essential for us to develop a winning IP strategy quickly, given that the technology is still not ripe. Since a large portion of the business in this sector is currently in far-east Asia, we may need to rely on the support from foreign regulators to maintain ownership of our inventions and trade secrets.
• Funding and supply chain - the supply chain of materials represents a significant risk for MAGNOTHERM. In the past, our work has been severely impacted by the recent semiconductor shortage, and to move to a LaFeSi-based device we’ll need to select reliable partners. Our current supplier has been facing liquidity challenges, and the quality and quantity of the material sourced are suboptimal. We need to establish strong partnerships with multiple suppliers to mitigate this risk.
Another opportunity would arise if a large source of funding was available: we could start producing our material inhouse. We estimate that the production of LaFeSi internally would require an investment in machinery and facilities for 3-5 million euros, plus additional costs for raw material and personnel.
• Commercialization – we are constantly in contact with investors and strategic partners to promote our products and technology. Our partners appreciate our commitment to sustainability and our constant improvement in efficiency, but the journey is far from over. To be successful we will need to provide a device more efficient than traditional coolers and sell it for a competitive price.
• Regulatory framework – we rely on the policymaker to inform the public about the dangers of traditional refrigerants, and to promote directives to phase out the usage of said products. We believe that measures such as the European regulation on F-gases and the American Innovation and Manufacturing act of 2020 will be beneficial for the breakthrough of our technology.
• IP protection – we have already been granted two patents in Europe, US and Asia, and we are currently filing for 3 new invention disclosures. It will be essential for us to develop a winning IP strategy quickly, given that the technology is still not ripe. Since a large portion of the business in this sector is currently in far-east Asia, we may need to rely on the support from foreign regulators to maintain ownership of our inventions and trade secrets.
• Funding and supply chain - the supply chain of materials represents a significant risk for MAGNOTHERM. In the past, our work has been severely impacted by the recent semiconductor shortage, and to move to a LaFeSi-based device we’ll need to select reliable partners. Our current supplier has been facing liquidity challenges, and the quality and quantity of the material sourced are suboptimal. We need to establish strong partnerships with multiple suppliers to mitigate this risk.
Another opportunity would arise if a large source of funding was available: we could start producing our material inhouse. We estimate that the production of LaFeSi internally would require an investment in machinery and facilities for 3-5 million euros, plus additional costs for raw material and personnel.
• Commercialization – we are constantly in contact with investors and strategic partners to promote our products and technology. Our partners appreciate our commitment to sustainability and our constant improvement in efficiency, but the journey is far from over. To be successful we will need to provide a device more efficient than traditional coolers and sell it for a competitive price.
• Regulatory framework – we rely on the policymaker to inform the public about the dangers of traditional refrigerants, and to promote directives to phase out the usage of said products. We believe that measures such as the European regulation on F-gases and the American Innovation and Manufacturing act of 2020 will be beneficial for the breakthrough of our technology.