Turning the concept of magnetocaloric cooling on its head

Exploit the hysteresis, not avoid

Smart design of materials

Computing power

Advanced laboratory equipment

Welcome to COOL INNOV

The outstanding research at the Functional Materials group of TU Darmstadt for the substitution of critical raw materials and materials for energy technologies has been recognized by honoring Prof. Dr. Oliver Gutfleisch with ERC Advanced Grant COOL INNOV.

COOL INNOV will attempt to achieve a breakthrough in caloric cooling based on magnetocaloric materials by rethinking the whole concept of this technology. Instead of the conventional idea of squeezing the best out of magnetostructural phase-change materials in relatively low magnetic fields, a second stimulus introduced in the form of pressure can help the COOL INNOV team to exploit, rather than avoid, the hysteresis that is inherent in these materials. It should lead to more efficient refrigeration, with a commercially viable technology that could satisfy the urgent global need.

COOL INNOV received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant no. 743116 - project Cool Innov).

COOL INNOV Research

Safe and efficient magnetic refrigeration
 
Safe and efficient magnetic refrigeration
Environmentally friendly and energy efficient alternative to the conventional cooling based on the magnetocaloric effect, taken one step further
Team
 
Team
The Cool Innov team consists of experienced scientists and young talented students working in experimental and theoretical physics
First principle calculations
 
First principle calculations
DFT-based high-throughput search for new compounds combined with detailed phase transitions calculations
Finite element method simulations
 
Finite element method simulations
FEM simulations including micromagnetics for calculating the magnetic properties and behavior of new magnetocaloric materials
Publications
 
Publications
Articles published in the framework of the project and other articles on the topic of multi-calorics and related physics
Additive manufacturing
 
Additive manufacturing
Implementing 3D printing for engineering heat exchangers with complex structures from magnetocaloric materials
Development of new materials
 
Development of new materials
Synthesis and modification using advanced processing routes of mechanically stable materials with the large magnetocaloric effect
Multi-stimuli concept
 
Multi-stimuli concept
Utilization of magnetic field and uniaxial mechanical stress for enhancing the efficiency of magnetocaloric devices
Devices and equipment
 
Devices and equipment
Modern techniques and versatile devices are available to characterise the magnetic and mechanical properties of new materials

News

Poster Award

Additive manufacturing of multicaloric Ni-Mn-Sn by direct energy deposition using gas-atomized powder

We congratulate our colleague Dr. Franziska Scheibel to the Poster Award at the international Conference “New Frontiers in Materials Design for Laser Additive Manufacturing”. A wonderful recognition for the great cooperation with our colleagues from the University of Kassel, TU Bergakademie Freiberg and Fraunhofer IWKS.
On the Impact of Additive Manufacturing Processes on the Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Co–Ni–Ga Shape Memory Heusler Alloys

Microstructure design of Co-Ni-Ga shape memory alloys by additive manufacturing can be used to prevent intergranular cracking and premature failure. The comparison of microstructure, composition and magnetic properties of Co-Ni-Ga Heusler alloy processed by direct energy deposition and laser powder bed fusion shows large differences in terms of precipitate formation and martensitic transformation behavior.

This article by Franziska Scheibel, Christian Lauhoff, Stefan Riegg, Philipp Krooß, Enrico Bruder, Esmaeil Adabifiroozjaei, Leopoldo Molina-Luna, Stefan Böhm, Yury I. Chumlyakov, Thomas Niendorf, Oliver Gutfleisch is published in Advacned Engineering Materials.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202200069

Acknowledged: ERC CoolInnov, CRC-TRR HoMMage