Optimal ferrofluids for magnetic cooling devices

Superior passive cooling technologies are urgently required to tackle device overheating, consequent performance degradation, and service life reduction. Magnetic cooling, governed by the thermomagnetic convection of a ferrofluid, is a promising emerging passive heat transfer technology to meet these challenges. Hence, we studied the performance metrics, non-dimensional parameters, and thermomagnetic cooling performance of various ferrite and metal-based ferrofluids. The magnetic pressure, friction factor, power transfer, and exergy loss were determined to predict the performance of such cooling devices. We also investigated the significance of the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles used in the ferrofluid on cooling performance. γ-Fe2O3, Fe3O4, and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibited superior cooling performance among ferrite-based ferrofluids. FeCo nanoparticles had the best cooling performance for the case of metallic ferrofluids. The saturation magnetization of the magnetic nanoparticles is found to be a significant parameter to enhance heat transfer and heat load cooling. These results can be used to select the optimum magnetic nanoparticle-based ferrofluid for a specific magnetic cooling device application.

Aspects Concerning the Fabrication of Magnetorheological Fluids Containing High Magnetization FeCo Nanoparticles

Recently, our collaborative work in the fabrication of a magnetorheological fluid (MRF) containing high magnetization FeCo nanoparticles (NPs, fabricated in our laboratories using the chemical reduction technique; MS = 212 Am2/kg) as magnetic fillers have resulted in a new MRF with superior performance up to 616.7 kA/m. The MRF had a yield stress value of 2729 Pa and good reversibility after a demagnetization process. This value competes with the best ones reported in the most recent literature. Nevertheless, the fabrication process of this type of fluid is not an easy task since there is a strong trend to the aggregation of the FeCo NPs due to the strong magnetic dipolar interaction among them. Thus, now we present the analysis of some aspects concerning the fabrication process of our FeCo NPs containing MRF, mainly the type of surfactant used to cover those NPs (oleic acid or aluminium stearate) and its concentration, and the procedure followed (mechanical and/or ultrasound stirring) to achieve a good dispersion of those magnetic fillers within the fluid.

Enhanced Activity towards Oxygen Electrocatalysis for Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries by Alloying Fe and Co in N-doped Carbon

Large-scale application of rechargeable Zn-air batteries requires low-cost electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) as alternatives to noble metals. Herein, FeCo nanoparticles embedded in N-doped...