HEAT4ENERGY

Production and consumption of energy are accountable for more than 75% of EU greenhouse gas emissions. The decarbonization of the energy system is, therefore, critical to achieving the “carbon neutrality” goal by 2050. Human activities produce a huge amount of low-grade waste heat (T < 100 °C), for instance data centers, pulp and food industrial plants. It represents an alternative energy source to sun and wind, steadily and abundantly available: converting even a small amount of the waste heat to electrical energy would significantly contribute to a more circular use of resources. Nevertheless, technological solutions, although concept-proofed, do not yet hit the minimum acceptable level of performance and economic viability.  

HEAT4ENERGY is a 4-year (2024-2028) EU-Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network project aiming to train, through an interdisciplinary education and experience in both academic and industrial realities, a new generation of experts with the needed skills to lead the European green transition. Over its extent, HEAT4ENERGY’s goal is the development of the first economical and technologically efficient and yet scalable thermomagnetic devices so as to push the TRL of this technology from 3/4 (proof of concept) up to 6/7. Three different prototypes will be set up and validated, with corresponding output powers of 10 μW, 1 W, and 100 W. The study of thermomagnetic materials is key and complementary to engineering studies. The project intends to optimize their synthesis methods, provide a comprehensive characterization of their fundamental and functional properties, as well as determine the best shaping for each application they are destined for.

The contribution of CNR-IMEM to the project consists in the synthesis and characterization of metamagnetic Heusler alloys (NiMn-based), meaning that they undergo first- and second-order transitions. The arc melting technique is the election method for bulk samples synthesis, whilst radio frequency sputtering and melt spinning are adopted for the preparation of films and ribbons of 50 μm to 100 μm thickness. A combination of investigation techniques allows for an exhaustive analysis of morphological, chemical, structural, and magnetic material properties (scanning electron microscopy: SEM-EDX; transition electron microscopy: TEM; atomic/magnetic force microscopy: AFM/MFM; X-ray diffraction: XRD; thermomagnetic analysis of magnetic susceptibility: TMA; magnetometry techniques: VSM, PPMS, SQUID; single-point detection technique: SPD).

PROJECT PARTNERS:

Delft University of Technology  (Paesi Bassi) (coordinatore)/(Netherlands) (coordinator)

Karlsruher Institut für Technology (Germania) /(Germany)

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Germania) /(Germany)

Bundesanstalt für Material-forschung und –prüfung (Germania) /(Germany) 

Univerza V Ljubljani (Romania) /(Romania)

Radboud University (Paesi Bassi) /(Netherlands)

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS (Francia) /(France)

Universitat fur Weiterbildung Krems (Austria) /(Austria)

Magneto B.V. (Paesi Bassi) /(Netherlands)

memetis GmbH (Germania) /(Germany)

Magnoric (Francia) /(France) 

Universita Degli Studi di Parma (Italia) /(Italy)

Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche (Italia)/(Italy)

Technische Universität Dresden (Germania) /(Germany)

Université Grenoble Alpes  (Francia) /(France)

Technische Universität Wien (Austria) /(Austria)

The project is funded by the European Union (under Grant Agreement no. 101119852)