Systems and methods disclosed herein relate to a cryogenic refrigeration system which may use a compression based cryocooler or liquid nitrogen pre-cool to cool a medium to ˜80K, and may in conjunction with a magnetic refrigeration system operating in the sub-80K temperature regime to provide cooling to a medium to temperatures below 80K. In some embodiments, the disclosed system may be useful for cooling on the order of about 3 kg/day to about 300 kg/day of hydrogen gas to liquid form, with higher efficiency than a standard vapor compression based system. This higher efficiency may make the system a more attractive candidate for use in cryogenic cooling applications.

Provided is an apparatus and method for transferring or exchanging thermal energy between two thermal reservoirs, for converting energy from thermal energy into another form of energy, or for converting energy from another form of energy into thermal energy. A body force per unit mass generating apparatus can be employed to modify a specific heat capacity of a working material. A work exchange apparatus, such as a compressor expander, can be employed to do work on the working material, or allow the working material to do work on the work exchange apparatus.

A process that includes pre-cooling a H.sub.2 gas feedstock with a compressed liquid natural gas via a heat exchanger, introducing the pre-cooled H.sub.2 gas feedstock into an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H.sub.2 liquefier module, and delivering liquid H.sub.2 from the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H.sub.2 liquefier module to a liquid H.sub.2 vehicle dispenser.

Provided is an apparatus and method for transferring or exchanging thermal energy between two thermal reservoirs, for converting energy from thermal energy into another form of energy, or for converting energy from another form of energy into thermal energy. A body force per unit mass generating apparatus can be employed to modify a specific heat capacity of a working material. A work exchange apparatus, such as a compressor expander, can be employed to do work on the working material, or allow the working material to do work on the work exchange apparatus.

This invention relates to magnetocaloric materials comprising ternary alloys useful for magnetic refrigeration applications. The disclosed ternary alloys are Cerium, Neodymium, and/or Gadolinium based compositions that are fairly inexpensive, and in some cases exhibit only 2.sup.nd order magnetic phase transitions near their curie temperature, thus there are no thermal and structural hysteresis losses. This makes these compositions attractive candidates for use in magnetic refrigeration applications. The performance of the disclosed materials is similar or better to many of the known expensive rare-earth based magnetocaloric materials.

A caloric regenerator system includes a flow body that defines a plurality of cold side channels, a plurality of hot side channels and a central passage. A port body is received within the central passage of the flow body such that the flow body is rotatable relative to the port body. The port body defines a hot side port and a cold side port. A width of the hot side port is less than a width of the cold side port. An annular caloric regenerator is in flow communication with the plurality of cold side channels and the plurality of hot side channels such that a heat transfer fluid is flowable into the annular caloric regenerator through the plurality of cold side channels and out of the annular caloric regenerator through the plurality of hot side channels.

In an embodiment, a method of fabricating a working component for magnetic heat exchange comprises arranging at least two articles comprising a magnetocalorically active phase and an elongated form with a long axis having a length 1 and a shortest axis having a length s, wherein 1≥1.5 s, such that the shortest axes of the at least two articles are substantially parallel to one another and securing the at least two articles in a position within the working component such that the shortest axes of the at least two articles are substantially parallel to one another within the working component.

A fluid temperature control device includes a magnetic circuit portion and a coil waterproof structure. The magnetic circuit portion includes a magnetic working substance container containing a magnetic working substance, and a coil that applies a magnetic field to the magnetic working substance container. The magnetic working substance container allows a fluid to flow through it to exchange heat with the magnetic working substance. The coil waterproof structure hinders water generated in the magnetic working substance container from flowing to the coil.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a first magneto-caloric cylinder and a second magneto-caloric cylinder. The second magneto-caloric cylinder and a second plurality of thermal stages are nested concentrically within the first magneto-caloric cylinder and a first plurality of thermal stages. A plurality of magnets is distributed along a circumferential direction within a non-magnetic ring in each thermal stage of the first and second pluralities of thermal stages. Each thermal stage of the first and second pluralities of thermal stages has a first half and a second half. A polarity of the magnets of the plurality of magnets within the first half is oriented opposite a polarity of the magnets of the plurality of magnets within the second half along the radial direction in each thermal stage of the first and second pluralities of thermal stages.

A magnetic refrigeration module includes a housing, low and high temperature inflow paths, low and high temperature outflow paths, and first and second intermediate flow paths. The housing houses a magnetic working substance, and forms a flow path. The low and high temperature inflow paths carry heating medium into first and second ends of the flow path. First and second spaces are formed between the first and second ends and the low and high temperature inflow paths. The low and high temperature outflow paths receive the heating medium from the first and second ends of the flow path. The first and second intermediate flow paths communicate with the low and high temperature inflow paths and the first and second spaces. The first and second intermediate flow paths expand heating medium flow from the low and high temperature inflow paths to the first and second spaces.