New magnetic materials for efficient cooling
Utrecht (NL) / Ludwigshafen (D), July 25, 2011 – The Dutch foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) and BASF start another joint research programme on magnetocaloric materials. This new class of materials may help to make today's cooling systems more efficient and more silent.
- (1888PressRelease) July 25, 2011 - This is the second joint research project of FOM and BASF and will have a duration of four years. "We aim at an even better understanding of the fundamental magnetocaloric principles, which will help us to develop new materials with improved properties and we will investigate the best routes for large-scale production," says programme leader Prof. Dr. Ekkes Brück (TU Delft).
FOM and BASF started their cooperation in 2008. This earlier research programme has brought new insight into the physics behind the giant magnetocaloric effect. Together with their industrial partners the researchers work on the market introduction of the first devices based on magnetocaloric materials.
Principles of magnetic cooling
Magnetocaloric materials heat up in a magnetic field and cool down again when they are drawn out of the field. Therefore a heat pump based on magnetocaloric materials may be an ideal alternative for traditional cooling cycles. Cooling systems based on the magnetocaloric effect have the potential to significantly reducing energy consumption. "Theoretical considerations show an energy savings potential of up to fifty percent," explains Dr. Thomas Weber, managing director of BASF Future Business GmbH. "An additional benefit is that the system based on a magnetic cooling cycle can be relatively small. This makes them ideal for many applications ranging from the cooling of electronic components to refrigerators and air conditioners.” This technology does not make use of gaseous refrigerants. Therefore it is quieter and causes less vibrations than conventional compressor type refrigerators.
Public private cooperation
FOM and BASF collaborate within a so called Industrial Partnership Programme (IPP). IPP’s are research programmes where FOM couples academic knowledge to industrial ambitions by renowned fundamental physical research in close cooperation with industry. Companies finance at least fifty percent. The research will be executed at TU Delft, Radboud University Nijmegen and at the research sites of BASF in De Meern (NL) and Ludwigshafen (D).
About BASF Future Business GmbH
BASF Future Business GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of BASF Aktiengesellschaft, was founded in April 2001. It aims to open up business areas with above-average growth rates that lie outside BASF’s current activities. The company focuses on chemistry-based new materials, technologies and system solutions. BASF Future Business GmbH commissions research from BASF’s R&D units and cooperates with start-up companies, industrial partners, universities and potential customers. Further activities include acquisition of direct stakes, initiation of joint ventures and provision of venture capital via the subsidiary BASF Venture Capital GmbH. Further information on BASF Future Business is available on the Internet at www.basf-fb.de .
About FOM
The Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) promotes, co-ordinates and finances fundamental physics research in The Netherlands. It is an autonomous foundation responsible to the physics division of the national research council NWO. With about 1030 employees and an annual budget of 92 million Euros FOM executes physics research of international top level quality within four institutes and 180 university research groups in the Netherlands. For cooperation with industrial researchers (Industrial Partnership Programmes) FOM has an annual budget of three million Euros available. See www.fom.nl .
Contact
Gabby Zegers , communications Stichting FOM (NL),
phone +31 (0)30 600 12 22
Prof. Dr. Ekkes Brück , TU Delft (NL),
phone +31 (0)15 278 31 58
Holger Kapp , Corporate Media Relations - BASF Group (D),
phone +49 621 60 -41040
Vanessa Holzhäuser , communications BASF Future Business GmbH, (D), phone +49 (0) 1520 937 5862
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam