Discussion Forum

Hello

I have been struggling with the simulation of the magnetocaloric effect that still no one gave details on how to do it. This issue has been a topic without answers for quite a long time, although simple to solve in theory. In practice, in adiabatic processes, when we apply a magnetic field to a magnetic (or magnetocaloric) material, its temperature increases, and when we remove the magnetic field its temperature decreases. These adiabatic temperature variations are incorporated in a function that depends on temperature ∆Tad(T).

The best way to simulate the magnetocaloric effect is by changing the temperature abruptly, i.e. in an adiabatic process, with a value that depends on the temperature of the material. Note that there is no need to include magnetism in the model.

Numerically, we can stop the numerical calculations in the instant right before the magnetic field application/removal, add/subtract ∆Tad(T) in the solution and use the result as initial condition of a subsequent simulation. Doing this repeatedly, one can compute, e.g., a magnetic refrigerator. But here is the complication: I do not see a way to implement this process in COMSOL: do some manipulation on the temperature at the end of one simulation and use it as initial condition of a next one. It is weird because with the free software openFOAM this is somehow straightforward, while with a paid one such as COMSOL seems difficult to implement. Can anyone give a hint to do so?

Thanks in advance