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Turning the concept of magnetocaloric cooling on its head

Objective

Twenty years of research in magnetocaloric materials has failed to provide the necessary breakthrough that will lead to a commercial realisation of this technology and satisfy the urgent global need for more efficient refrigeration. We strongly believe that this is a result of looking in the wrong direction. The cool innov project will achieve this breakthrough by rethinking the whole concept of caloric cooling. We are rejecting the conventional idea of squeezing the best out of magneto-structural phase-change materials in relatively low magnetic fields, and instead we introduce a second stimulus in the form of pressure so that we can exploit, rather than avoid, the hysteresis that is inherent in these materials. The hysteresis will allow us to lock-in the magnetisation at saturation as the magnetising field is removed, so that magnetic fields persisting over a large area will no longer be required (instead, we can use a very focused field), and then demagnetise the material in a second step with an applied stress, enabling us to extract a lot more heat. In this case we only need to apply the magnetic field to a small volume of material, making it a completely new application for commercially available, high-temperature, YBCO-type, bulk superconducting permanent magnets. With the high-field, multi-stimuli approach proven, we will develop new magneto/mechanocaloric materials that match the new high-field, hysteresis-positive approach and start to fabricate novel heat-exchanger structures using additive manufacturing, so that we can combine a mechanically sound heat exchanger having a complex geometry with locally tailored, magneto/mechanocaloric properties. The success of cool innov will be game changing. We are being very ambitious in targeting a revolution in cooling technology, but if we succeed, we will have a huge impact on global energy consumption through greater efficiency, thanks to the novel energy materials that will be discovered within cool innov.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2016-ADG

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Host institution

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT DARMSTADT
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 499 000,00
Address
KAROLINENPLATZ 5
64289 DARMSTADT
Germany

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Region
Hessen Darmstadt Darmstadt, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 2 499 000,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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