Detailed numerical modeling of a linear parallel-plate Active Magnetic Regenerator

A numerical model simulating Active Magnetic Regeneration (AMR) is presented and compared to a selection of experiments. The model is an extension and re-implementation of a previous two-dimensional model. The new model is extended to 2.5D, meaning that parasitic thermal losses are included in the spatially not-resolved direction. The implementation of the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is made possible through a source term in the heat equation for the magnetocaloric material (MCM). This adds the possibility to model a continuously varying magnetic field. The adiabatic temperature change of the used gadolinium has been measured and is used as an alternative MCE than mean field modeling. The results show that using the 2.5D formulation brings the model significantly closer to the experiment. Good agreement between the experimental results and the modeling was obtained when using the 2.5D formulation in combination with the measured adiabatic temperature change. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.