Heat exchange law in caloric regenerators

Heat exchange plays a major role in any kind of cooling devices, especially in those based on caloric effects. Even though more than 50 prototypes of this kind have been developed hitherto, the impact of the heat transfer coefficient on their performance has not been explicitly quantified. In this work, we quantify the heat transfer coefficient of regenerative caloric prototypes by analyzing existing experimental data with theory. A linear trend is observed between regeneration factors and heat transfer coefficients, with a slope of 6 10(-4) m(2) KW-1. These findings suggest an empirical law, mostly independent of the prototype characteristics, and should be used as a guide to design more efficiently future caloric devices with highly competitive temperature spans. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

Heat exchange is crucial in cooling devices based on caloric effects, with the heat transfer coefficient impacting performance yet to be quantified. This study analyzes experimental data with theory to quantify the heat transfer coefficient of regenerative caloric prototypes. A linear trend is found between regeneration factors and heat transfer coefficients, suggesting an empirical law for more efficient design of future caloric devices.