Noted Sami, “We have been able to enhance the cooling capacity on the average by 25 percent depending upon the refrigerant mixture, improve the coefficient of performance [COP] on the average by 20 percent depending upon the refrigerant mixture boiling point, reduce equipment power consumption by around 8 percent, carry less liquid refrigerant into the compressor chamber, enhance the heating capacity of the system even at low evaporation temperatures, and decrease discharge pressure and increase discharge temperature.”

Sami described the proprietary product as a “viable, reliable, and maintenance-free technology that will benefit the consumer and energy end users in the industrial, commercial, transport, and residential sectors in both retrofit and new equipment.”

He went on to say that the “Magnetizer’s goal is to reduce energy consumption in the industry by using the most energy-efficient design. Our real challenge is to combine a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions with meeting expectations of economic growth. “Magnetizer is proud of its attitude towards the environment that is not at odds with profitability and commercial success.”

How It Works

“The result of this is that the molecules disassociate more easily, resulting in an increase in the bubbles detached from the surface of the flow — which accelerates the boiling nucleation rate.

“A secondary physical mechanism is the lubrication oil of the compressor, which is electromotively attracted from the heat transfer surface into the main stream flow, which increases the cooling capacity.”

Sami noted that the product was developed “primarily to protect the compressor; to prolong its life span and reduce the cycling of the compressor.”

A number of parameters enter into the equation:

“The pressure ratio represents the ratio between the discharge and the suction pressure across the compressor. The laboratory results of various refrigerant mixtures — R-410A, R-407C, R-507, and R-404A — show that the pressure ratio has been slightly increased with the increase of the number of magnetic elements. This is expected, since less liquid refrigerant is being boiled in the compressor shell. This results in increasing the pressure ratio. This trend has been observed with other refrigerant mixtures under investigation.

“The compressor head pressure and discharge temperature are important parameters to be considered when selecting an alternative refrigerant mixture,” Sami pointed out; “therefore, our data give clear evidence that as the magnetic field force increases, COP of condenser and evaporator increase and, in turn, reduces compressor cycling.

“However, it also appears that higher gauss levels [the measure of magnetic flux density] slightly decrease the discharge pressure. It is suggested that this is a result of less liquid refrigerant being carried into the compressor chamber. Furthermore, comparative study among refrigerant mixtures under investigation clearly indicates that R-410A has superior compression properties compared to the other blends under investigation.

“Based on these results, it appears that lower evaporation temperatures seem to slightly increase the compressor capacity with higher gauss levels. This is quite expected, since higher gauss levels enhance the evaporator capacity and, therefore, reduce refrigerant liquid boiling in the compressor shell. The data also demonstrate that higher magnetic fields result in enhancing the heating capacity of the system even at low evaporation temperatures.

“This also shows that the refrigerant mixtures in question respond similarly to the increase of the magnetic field force.”

The manufacturer said uses include industrial, commercial, and residential applications, encompassing such areas as land and sea transport, fishing fleets, heat pumps, air conditioning, refrigeration, freezers, coolers, ice makers, and vending machines.

Sami has taught courses in the field of thermodynamics, energy conversion and management, thermal systems, and computer modeling/simulation of energy systems, as well as fault detection/diagnostic expert systems. He is a registered engineer in the provinces of New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario, and a Fellow of ASME and ASHRAE. He is the recipient of the 1995 Merit award of the Association of Professional Engineers of NB and is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Moncton.

More information may be obtained at 215-249-1200, mgimag@magnetizer.com, or www.magnetizer.com.

Publication date: 04/07/2003