Economic Aspects of the Magnetocaloric Energy Conversion - Magnetocaloric Energy Conversion: From Theory to Applications - page 368

Fig. 9.4 Comparison of different permanent-magnet structures

not the best solution, especially if we want to perform thermodynamic cycles other
than the AMR Brayton-like cycle.
Moreover, any complexity of the permanent-magnet structures will also lead to
complexity of the assembly process, which will drastically increase the costs.
Figure 9.4 has been constructed according to our communication with Barcza from
Vacuumschmelze GmbH & Co [ 11 ]. If the basic prism (a) in Fig. 9.4 costs 100
units of money, then it will follow for (b) and (c) that the cost will represent 110
units. Any additional complexity, e.g. towards asymmetric structures, will increase
the costs. This will be further evident for the costs that concern the assembly
process.
Since at present no Nd eld

sources are available, we should try to decrease the mass of the permanent-magnet
material as much as possible. This can be done either with a smart design of the
magnet assembly, or by a substantial increase in the frequency of the operation
(number of thermodynamic cycles per unit of time).

Fe B equivalent alternative permanent magnetic

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9.2 A Brief Discussion on the Market and the Costs
of Superconducting Magnets

Despite superconducting magnets having already been applied for the purpose of
magnetic refrigeration, there is no evidence that any of these superconducting
magnets has already been designed for the purpose of magnetic refrigeration at
room temperature. Therefore, no cost evaluation for superconducting magnetic
refrigerators or chillers can be found in the literature, except that made for the Swiss
Federal Of ce of Energy in 2010 by Egolf et al. [ 12 ]. We will come back to that

study in the subsequent text.
Note that in the following decades people will witness the very rapid develop-
ment of different sectors, which are related to the application of superconducting
materials, such as for instance those used in electrical equipment (i.e. cables,
transformers, fault current limiters), rotating machines (motors and generators) as
well as superconducting magnetic energy storage [ 13 ].