Paving the Way for Next‐Generation Solid‐State Waste Heat Recovery: A Thermomagnetic Materials and Systems Roadmap
ABSTRACT Nearly half of global primary energy is dissipated as low‐grade waste heat, predominantly below 100°C. While thermoelectric technologies offer a pathway to recover such energy, their efficiency and scalability remain limited. Thermomagnetic (TM) energy conversion has recently emerged as a promising alternative, with breakthroughs in materials and system design pushing its performance toward practical viability. TM systems offer unique advantages, including scalability, high theoretical second‐law efficiency, and adaptability across diverse thermal regimes. In this perspective, we examine the key challenges and emerging opportunities in thermomagnetic energy harvesting, with a focus on material selection, processing techniques, and system‐level design. We propose roadmaps to guide the field's development, aiming to establish TM conversion as a versatile solution for sustainable low‐grade waste heat recovery.
Authors
- S. Fähler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9450-4952)
- E. Brück (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5063-3338)
- Anja Waske (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8740-2226)
- T. Schrefl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0871-0520)
- Sergiu Lionte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0474-4931)
- Nora M. Dempsey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0402-0992)
- Andrej Kitanovski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9385-538X)
- F. Albertini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7210-0735)
- Katja Klinar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1835-9567)
- Manfred Kohl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0597-4440)
- Niels H. van Dijk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2506-2852)
- G. A. de Wijs
- M. Maschek
- C. Megnin
Institutions
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (DE)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Universität für Weiterbildung Krems (AT)
- Federal Institute For Materials Research and Testing (DE)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- University of Ljubljana (SI)
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (DE)
- Magneto Special Anodes (Netherlands) (NL)
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IT)
- Institut Néel (FR)
- Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
- Delft University of Technology (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2026-10-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.78789
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00