Static and dynamic modeling and identification of a magnetic refrigerator Modlisation statique et dynamique et identification d'un rfrigrateur magntique

In this paper, an experimental study of a magnetic refrigerator was carried out to identify static and dynamic models, which can be used for proposing and tuning control strategies. For the experimental evaluation, a 40 liter thermally insulated compartment was coupled to a magnetic refrigeration system equipped with an active magnetic regenerator. The influence of fluid flow rate, blow fraction, and magnetic cycle frequency on the temperature behavior inside the refrigerated compartment and on the power consumption of the system was evaluated. The results of the characterizations show that it is possible to reach equivalent cabinet temperatures by changing the flow rate of the thermal fluid or the cycle frequency. However, the former has a greater influence on the temperature of the cabinet, and the latter has a greater impact on the energy consumption and is associated with slower transients. Additionally, the temperature of the cabinet at steady state showed a parabolic behavior with respect to the fluid flow rate, demonstrating that there is an optimal flow rate for a given operating condition.