Understanding the Strong Magnet
When you hear the word strong magnet, chances are the word refers to the largest and strongest permanent magnetic field in the universe - a rare earth magnetic field. Rare earth metals, including cobalt, palladium, ruthenium and osmium are extremely strong magnets and when combined with other magnets they create a stronger field than any other magnetic material can. The strength of the magnetic fields produced by these materials can range from one to several thousand times that of the Earth's magnetic field. This makes them very effective in providing energy for various uses.
Although rare earth metals do have certain advantages, the main use of these rare metals is their unique properties which make them ideal for certain applications, such as use in electricity generation, magnet drives and magnetic refrigeration. These metals, which have very low intrinsic magnetic fields, are used widely in many industries to develop new power generating techniques and to improve energy efficiency.
In the last couple of years, the development of magnetic refrigeration has grown dramatically because of the ability of magnetic materials to absorb heat and increase the stability of chilled fluids. Magnetic materials which can be used in magnet drives are particularly useful in electrical power generation because it increases the efficiency of the machines when converting kinetic energy into mechanical energy. The ability to transfer energy from mechanical energy to electrical energy is known as thermodynamics and it has a great influence on the efficiency of industrial machinery.
As magnetic refrigeration becomes more widely available, the demand for the rare metals that produce this type of cooling will grow. Many rare earth magnet manufacturers are concentrating their research efforts on creating magnetic refrigeration systems that will be able to effectively convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. It is not clear whether this type of system will ever be practical for home use, but for small industrial applications it is likely to be a very viable alternative to the conventional methods that exist.
There are many different kinds of magnetic refrigeration systems that have been developed over the years. One of the most common systems is called magnetic wind tunnel refrigeration because it involves using the forces of gravity to cool the fluid. Another very important technology called magnetic closed loop refrigeration, is being developed to reduce the temperature of a fluid that would otherwise become extremely hot. In the case of magnetic refrigeration, some of the liquid has to be cooled first before it can be re-circulated, and this allows the liquid to be cooled in much the same way that water is cooled in a closed loop, with the help of magnetic force.
The two systems described above are the most common types of magnets used for different forms of magnetic cooling, although there are a number of other ways in which magnetic materials can be used. The most important thing to remember is that these metals have a great number of advantages that have made them popular, and they will probably continue to be popular for many years to come. It is very likely that the magnetic refrigeration technology that is used today will change as more research is carried out and as new discoveries are made.
