CFD simulations of the magnetocaloric heat transfers between a gadolinium plate and an oscillating liquid flow.

This study deals with simulations of heat transfers between a 1 mm thick gadolinium plate submitted to a variable magnetic field and an oscillating liquid flow. The channel is connected to a cold thermal source (Tc = 290 K) and to a hot thermal source (Th = 295 K). The volume source term for the energy equation in the gadolinium plate is computed for each time step. Simulations were performed with the Fluent CFD code for a frequency f = 1Hz. The influence of the channel volume displacement was investigated. The evolution of the temperature distribution in the plate for different volume rates shows that the gradient reaches a maximum value in the plate for a volume rate displacement of 40%. This is confirmed by the determination of the enthalpy variation of the liquid located in the thermal source. Simulations for f = 2Hz clearly show the diminution of the enthalpy variations and consequently a sharp diminution of the possibility of heat transfer between the sources.