Projects:2019s1-113 High Curie Temperature Magnetic Materials

Abstract here

Introduction

Renewable energy is a fast-growing sector of the Australian energy market. However, the adoption of renewable energy, in particular, wind and solar energy, remains limited by the intermittency of generation. Energy storage, as well as Frequency Control and Ancillary Services(FCAS) that are both available and cost-effective, are the new challenges facing the adoption of renewable energy. In order to meet these challenges, various companies have been investigating the viability of offering energy storage systems to the national grid. 1414 Degrees is a company that specializes in Thermal Energy Storage Systems(TESS). 1414 Degrees have developed a secret compound or Phase Change Material(PCM) that has a high latent heat of fusion. The PCM melts at 1414°C, hence their name. Currently, the PCM is heated via resistive heating elements that generate a lot of waste heat and thus require large amounts of power to run. 1414 Degrees would like to move to electromagnetic heating. However, electromagnetic actuation requires materials that remain ferromagnetic at sufficiently high temperatures i.e. have a Curie temperature of at least 1414°C.

The purpose of this project is to research, model, build and test materials that retain permanent magnetism at high temperatures.

1. Do a literature and product search for materials that are solid and permanent magnets at 1400 K and preferably up to 1700 K and model prospective materials
2. Test selected materials
3. Build and test an electromagnetically actuated high-temperature device

Project team

Project students

• Gitonga Njeru
• Nikko Kahindi

Supervisors

• Dr Andrew Allison

Advisors

• Grant Mathieson (1414 Degrees)
• Dr Reza Ghomashchi
• Will Robertson
• James Anderson

Objectives

To create an electromagnetically actuated device capable of:

1. Heating the Phase Change Materials(PCM) to its melting point (1000K - 1700K).
2. Creating an energy density of at least 1MWh/m^3 and a power density of 250kW/m^3 in the PCM.
3. Efficiency greater than 90%

Background

Curie temperature

The Curie temperature is the temperature above which the spontanteous magnetization (ferromagnetism) vanishes; it separated the disordered paramagnetic phase T > T_c from the ordered ferromagnetic phase at T < T_c[1].

References

[1] C. Kittel, Introduction to solid state physics. New York: J. Wiley & Sons, 1971

[2] ...