In order to prevent condensation from forming on a surface of an inner gasket surrounded on a rear surface of an indoor side door of an entrance refrigerator, the entrance refrigerator has a flow passage structure in which a portion of indoor air, whose temperature is increased by heat exchange with a heat sink, flows along the surface of the inner gasket.

An electrocaloric fiber includes an electrocaloric material surrounding a centrally located electrode. The electrocaloric fiber may further include an outer electrode surrounding the electrocaloric material. The electrocaloric fiber may be used to form an electrocaloric fabric.

An apparatus can comprise a circuit and an electrical element coupled to the circuit. The circuit can include a pulse generator to generate an electrical pulse having a first power and a load. The electrical element can be configured to receive heat that is converted into electrical energy by the circuit to apply a second power, greater than the first power, to the load.

The invention relates to a magnetocaloric lattice element formed by fibres of magnetocaloric material, wherein the fibres are arranged in respective parallel lattice planes, each fibre having a respective mass of magnetocaloric material, the fibres of a given lattice plane do not contact each other but each fibre of a given lattice plane is attached to at least two fibres in a next neighbouring lattice plane, and wherein the magnetocaloric lattice element exhibits exactly one predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension. When arranged in alignment of its predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension with an external magnetic field, the magnetocaloric lattice element achieves an advantageous, particularly high magnetization of the magnetocaloric material, and as a consequence improves the performance of the magnetocaloric cooling device.

The invention relates to a magnetocaloric lattice element formed by fibres of magnetocaloric material, wherein the fibres are arranged in respective parallel lattice planes, each fibre having a respective mass of magnetocaloric material, the fibres of a given lattice plane do not contact each other but each fibre of a given lattice plane is attached to at least two fibres in a next neighbouring lattice plane, and wherein the magnetocaloric lattice element exhibits exactly one predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension. When arranged in alignment of its predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension with an external magnetic field, the magnetocaloric lattice element achieves an advantageous, particularly high magnetization of the magnetocaloric material, and as a consequence improves the performance of the magnetocaloric cooling device.

The disclosure relates to a cryogen-free cooling apparatus for cooling a sample, comprising a vacuum chamber, a first cooling device which is configured to generate a first temperature in the vacuum chamber to provide a main thermal bath, a second cooling device, which is in connection with a sample stage on which a sample is to be arranged, wherein the second cooling device is a solid state cooler which is configured to provide a second temperature to the sample stage, and wherein the second temperature is different from the first temperature, and a sample loading device which is configured to change the sample while operating the first cooling device and the second cooling device, wherein the sample stage is held in the vacuum chamber by a plurality of first fibers of low thermal conductivity such that the sample stage is thermally decoupled from the main thermal bath.

The disclosure relates to a cryogen-free cooling apparatus for cooling a sample, comprising a vacuum chamber, a first cooling device which is configured to generate a first temperature in the vacuum chamber to provide a main thermal bath, a second cooling device, which is in connection with a sample stage on which a sample is to be arranged, wherein the second cooling device is a solid state cooler which is configured to provide a second temperature to the sample stage, and wherein the second temperature is different from the first temperature, and a sample loading device which is configured to change the sample while operating the first cooling device and the second cooling device, wherein the sample stage is held in the vacuum chamber by a plurality of first fibers of low thermal conductivity such that the sample stage is thermally decoupled from the main thermal bath.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus (1) is capable of performing a refrigeration cycle using a small-GWP refrigerant. The refrigeration cycle apparatus (1) includes a refrigerant circuit (10) and a refrigerant enclosed in the refrigerant circuit (10). The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor (21), a condenser (23), a decompressing section (24), and an evaporator (31). The refrigerant contains at least 1,2-difluoroethylene.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus (1) is capable of performing a refrigeration cycle using a small-GWP refrigerant. The refrigeration cycle apparatus (1) includes a refrigerant circuit (10) and a refrigerant enclosed in the refrigerant circuit (10). The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor (21), a condenser (23), a decompressing section (24), and an evaporator (31). The refrigerant contains at least 1,2-difluoroethylene.

A heat exchanger comprising at least two substrates made of electro-caloric and/or pyroelectric material and stacked one on the other so as to form between the at least two substrates and at least one channel for a fluid; at least two electrodes at two opposed ends of the at least two substrates; a housing enclosing the stack of the at least two substrates and the at least two electrodes, and provided with at least one fluid connecting port; wherein the housing is made of a heat shrinkable flexible tube that is shrunk onto the stack of the at least two electrodes and forming the at least one fluid connecting port.