Origin and avoidance of double peaks in the induced voltage of a thermomagnetic generator for harvesting low-grade waste heat

Thermomagnetic harvesting is an emerging approach to convert low-grade
waste heat to electricity, which recently obtained a boost due to the development of both,
more efficient functional materials and innovative device concepts. Here we examine a
thermomagnetic generator which utilizes Gadolinium as thermomagnetic material and report
on double peaks of the induced voltage. By a combination of experiments and theory we
show that these double peaks originate from the interaction of an asymmetric magnetization
curve and a pretzel like magnetic field topology. Double peaks are detrimental for the output
power and can be avoided by matching the magnetization change by adjusting cold and hot
fluid flow.