Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory have designed and built an advanced model system that successfully uses very small quantities of magnetocaloric materials to achieve refrigeration-level cooling. The development marks an important step in creating new technologies to replace 100-year-old gas compression refrigeration with solid-state systems that are up to 30 percent more energy efficient.
Called CaloriSMARTTM , which stands for Small Modular Advanced Research-scale Test-station, the system was designed specifically for the rapid evaluation of materials in regenerators without a large investment in time or manufacturing. The initial test subjected a sample of gadolinium to sequential magnetic fields, causing the sample to alternate between heating up and cooling down. Using precisely timed pumps to circulate water during those heating and cooling cycles, the system demonstrated sustained cooling power of about 10 watts, with a 15°C (just under 30°F) gradient between the hot and cold ends using only about three cubic centimeters of gadolinium.