FEMCE – A 3D finite element simulation tool for magnetic refrigerants

A critical challenge for magnetic refrigeration is designing shape-optimized refrigerants. When applying a magnetic field to the refrigerant, its magnetocaloric effect (MCE) heterogeneity is directly related to the demagnetizing field (a geometric phenomenon). Striking a balance between the total mass/volume of refrigerant, and its effective performance at a given temperature and applied magnetic field is a complex non-linear magnetostatics problem. We present a tool for estimating both the spatially-resolved and effective MCE for any refrigerant design, via the 3D finite element method - Finite Element Magnetocaloric Effect (FEMCE). FEMCE allows the user to input complex refrigerant shapes, together with the thermophysical properties of the material, to estimate and optimize its refrigerant performance for a given temperature and applied magnetic field change. The tool can be readily employed for both the conventional and demagnetizing-field induced MCE.