An appliance includes an ice maker and a caloric heat pump system for cooling the ice maker. The caloric heat pump system includes a pump for circulating a heat transfer fluid between first and second heat exchangers and caloric material stages in order to cool the ice maker with the first heat exchanger. A related ice making appliance is also provided.

A process for liquefying a process gas that includes introducing a heat transfer fluid into an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that comprises a single stage comprising dual multilayer regenerators located axially opposite to each other.

A solid-state refrigeration apparatus includes a solid cooling structure, first and second heat exchangers, a heating medium circuit, a reciprocating conveying mechanism, and a thermal storage section. The solid cooling portion includes a solid refrigerant substance, an internal channel where the solid refrigerant substance is disposed, and an induction section configured to cause the solid refrigerant substance to produce a caloric effect. The heating medium circuit is connected to the first and second heat exchangers, and the internal channel. The heating medium heated by the solid cooling portion dissipates heat in the first heat exchanger and the heating medium cooled by the solid cooling portion absorbs heat in the second heat exchanger a heat application operation. Frost on the second heat exchanger is melted using the heat stored in the thermal storage section in a defrosting operation. The thermal storage section stores heat in the heat application operation.

The invention is for an apparatus and method for a refrigerator and a heat pump based on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) offering a simpler, lighter, robust, more compact, environmentally compatible, and energy efficient alternative to traditional vapor-compression devices. The subject magnetocaloric apparatus alternately exposes portions of an MCE material to strong and weak magnetic field while coordinating the heat flow between the exposed portions by heat bridges to move the heat up the thermal gradient. The invention may be practiced with multiple MCE material portions or segments to attain large differences in temperature. Key applications include thermal management of electronics, as well as industrial and home refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning. The invention offers a simpler, lighter, compact, and robust apparatus compared to magnetocaloric devices of prior art. Furthermore, the invention may be run in reverse as a thermodynamic engine, receiving low-level heat and producing mechanical energy.

A system including: an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that includes a high magnetic field section in which a hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a cold side to a hot side through at least one magnetized bed of at least one magnetic refrigerant, and a low magnetic field or demagnetized section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a hot side to a cold side through the demagnetized bed; a first conduit fluidly coupled between the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section and the cold side of the high magnetic field section; and a second conduit fluid coupled to the first conduit, an expander and at least one liquefied hydrogen storage module.

A magnetic refrigerator including an electromagnet for magnetic refrigeration. The electromagnet for magnetic refrigeration includes: a return yoke; at least one pair of opposite magnetic poles disposed inside the return yoke and spaced from each other by a gap; a pipe disposed in the gap to pass a heat transport medium therethrough; a magnetocaloric member disposed inside the pipe to exchange heat with the heat transport medium; and a coil to surround at least one of the paired opposite magnetic poles to generate a magnetic flux passing across the gap when the coil is energized.

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 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 place, and wherein the magnetocaloric lattice element exhibits exactly one predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension.

A magnetic field application device includes a magnetic field application unit provided with a magnetic working substance, a permanent magnet, a yoke and a coil. The magnetic field application unit applies a magnetic field to the magnetic working substance. The yoke forms at least two closed magnetic circuits, each being a closed circuit that magnetically connects both ends in a magnetization direction of the permanent magnet. The coil is capable of changing an intensity of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic working substance. The coil is provided in at least one of the closed magnetic circuits. The magnetic field application unit is disposed in at least one of the closed magnetic circuits. A magnetic flux of the permanent magnet is branched to flow through two or more of the closed magnetic circuits including the closed magnetic circuit provided with the magnetic field application unit when the coil is non-energized.

A magnetic refrigeration apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a magnetic-field source and two or more bed rings. The bed rings can be arranged in pairs with shared cold and hot fluid plenums. A flow of heat transfer fluid may pass at least partially radially through the shared fluid plenum or through a connection between the fluid plenum and one or more flow tubes. The MR apparatus and systems of the present disclosure may further include one or more circumferential flux returns with radial through-hole passageways to accommodate flow tubing. For apparatus configurations with an even number of bed rings, the axial dimension of the passageways may be smaller than the circumferential dimension of the passageways.

A solid-state refrigeration device includes a solid-state cooler, first and second heat exchangers, a heat medium circuit, a reciprocating transport mechanism to transport a heat medium of the heat medium circuit, and an operation switching mechanism. The operation switching mechanism is configured to switch between a heating operation and a defrosting operation. In the heating operation, the heat medium heated by the solid-state cooler is caused to release heat in the first heat exchanger, and the heat medium cooled by the solid-state cooler is caused to absorb heat in the second heat exchanger. In the defrosting operation, the heat medium cooled by the solid-state cooler is caused to absorb heat in the first heat exchanger, and the heat medium heated by the solid-state cooler is caused to release heat in the second heat exchanger.