Issue 11, 2024

Excellent thermomagnetic power generation for harvesting waste heat via a second-order ferromagnetic transition

Abstract

Thermomagnetic generation (TMG), a promising technology to convert low-grade waste heat to electricity, utilizes high performance TMG materials. However, the drawbacks of large hysteresis, poor mechanical properties and inadequate service life hinder the practical applications. For the first time, we evaluated the effect of different phase transitions on the TMG performance by systematically comparing the TMG performance of three typical Heusler alloys with similar composition but different phase transitions. Ni2Mn1.4In0.6 exhibits second-order magnetic transition (SOMT) from the ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic (PM) state around TC = 316 K without thermal hysteresis. It presents highly comprehensive TMG performance, which is not only better than those of other two Heusler alloys with different phase transitions, but also better than those of most typical TMG materials. The maximum power density (1752.3 mW m−3), cost index (2.78 μW per €), and power generation index PGI (8.91 × 10−4) of Ni2Mn1.4In0.6 are 1–5, 1–4, and 1–7 orders of magnitude higher than those of most typical reported materials, respectively. In addition, Ni2Mn1.4In0.6 with SOMT also shows some advantages that first-order magnetic transition (FOMT) materials do not have, such as zero hysteresis and a long-term service life. In contrast to the short lifetime of a few minutes for the materials with FOMT, Ni2Mn1.4In0.6 with SOMT can serve for one month or even longer with excellent cycling stability. Consequently, we conclude that the SOMT Ni2Mn1.4In0.6 Heusler alloy with good TMG performance as well as zero hysteresis and long service life can be a better candidate than FOMT materials for practical applications of TMG.

Graphical abstract: Excellent thermomagnetic power generation for harvesting waste heat via a second-order ferromagnetic transition

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
25 Dec 2023
Accepted
28 Mar 2024
First published
08 Apr 2024

Mater. Horiz., 2024,11, 2603-2614

Excellent thermomagnetic power generation for harvesting waste heat via a second-order ferromagnetic transition

H. Chen, X. Liu, Y. Liu, L. Xie, Z. Yu, K. Qiao, M. Liu, F. Hu, B. Shen, R. V. Ramanujan, K. Chu and H. Zhang, Mater. Horiz., 2024, 11, 2603 DOI: 10.1039/D3MH02225K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements