13. Air-Condition and Refrigeration

Active magnetic refrigeration (AMR) is a magnetocaloric effect-based refrigeration technology with broad potential to replace traditional vapor compression systems. In this paper, we explore the possibility of integrating wavy, sinusoidal structures within the AMR to enhance its efficiency compared to the conventional parallel-plate structure. A parametric study was conducted to investigate the influence of phase shift and the ratio between the amplitude of waviness and the wavelength on the thermal performance of the regenerator. An experimental concept of parallel-plate AMR utilizing gadolinium as the magnetocaloric material with reciprocating water flows is developed to establish reference performance values. Through comprehensive simulations and performance evaluations, an optimized design for the sinusoidal plates is determined, highlighting the critical parameters that maximize the magnetocaloric effect and improve heat transfer characteristics. The findings demonstrate that the proposed wavy structure significantly enhances the performance of AMR, offering valuable insights for the development of more efficient magnetocaloric refrigeration systems.