Power Generation from Low Temperature Waste Heat Using Magnetic Phase Transition

Abstract

In this research, an innovative power generation system from a low temperature heat has been proposed. In the proposed system, magnetic phase transition is integrated with Faraday's law of induction, electric power is generated without any additional energy conversion, leading to achieving efficient power generation. Magnetic phase transition is a famous phenomenon that a paramagnetic material absorbs low temperature (< Curie temperature) heat and isothermally transforms to a ferromagnetic material at the Curie temperature. Furthermore, the power generation performance of the proposed system has been thermodynamically evaluated. The cycle of this system on the temperature-entropy diagram is close to a trilateral cycle suitable for a sensible heat recovery. Thus, it can be said that this system has a large possibility as a new energy harvesting system.