The invention relates to a magnetocaloric device, comprising a field generator, arranged to provide a changing external magnetic field and a magnetocaloric regenerator arrangement. The magnetocaloric regenerator arrangement comprises a magnetocaloric element, wherein the magnetocaloric element comprises magnetocaloric material, and wherein the magnetocaloric regenerator arrangement is arranged to be exposed to the changing external magnetic field of the field generator. Furthermore, the invention is characterized in that the magnetocaloric device further comprises an insulating means wherein the insulating means is arranged such that the magnetocaloric regenerator arrangement is hermetically surrounded by the insulating means.

A heat pump, as provided herein, may include a hot side heat exchanger, a cold side heat exchanger, a pump, and a caloric heat pump. The caloric heat pump may include a regenerator housing, a plurality of stages, and a field generator. The regenerator housing may extend along an axial direction between a first end portion of the regenerator housing and a second end portion of the regenerator housing. The plurality of stages may be arranged sequentially along the axial direction from the first end portion to the second end portion. The plurality of stages may be arranged so that caloric temperature peaks of the plurality of stages increase along the axial direction according to a predetermined, non-linear curve. The field generator may be positioned adjacent to the plurality of stages to subject the plurality of stages to a variable field generated by the field generator.

A method for operating a caloric heat pump system includes changing a cycle frequency at which a field of a field generator is applied to caloric material in the caloric heat pump system. The method also includes adjusting a speed of a hot side fan in response to the cycle frequency change and adjusting a speed of a cold side fan in response to the cycle frequency change. A respective one of three separate control loops changes the cycle frequency, adjusts the speed of the hot side fan, and adjusts the speed of the cold side fan.

A method of realizing a ferroic response is provided. The method includes applying a first conjugate field to a ferroic material in a non-singular-stepwise manner and applying a second conjugate field to the ferroic material in a non-singular-stepwise manner.

Magnetic cooling device comprising a magnetocaloric element, the magnetocaloric element comprising a paramagnetic garnet ceramic.

The density of the paramagnetic garnet ceramic is preferably greater than or equal to 90%.

The garnet ceramic is preferably a gadolinium gallium garnet ceramic or an ytterbium gallium garnet ceramic.

A magnetic heat pump device (1) has magnetic working bodies (11A to 11D), a permanent magnet (6), a circulating pump (24), rotary valves (8, 9), and heat exchangers (21, 28). A plurality of types of magnetic working substances (13A to 13C) is charged into a duct (12) of each of the magnetic working bodies in the ascending order of the Curie points from a low-temperature end (16) to a high-temperature end (14), whereby the magnetic working substances are connected in cascade and a dimension in which each of the magnetic working substances is charged is made to correspond to a predetermined specific temperature range in which the temperature change is large thereof. By effectively connecting the plurality of types of the magnetic working substances in cascade, required cooling and heat dissipation temperatures can be obtained.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a magneto-caloric cylinder. A plurality of thermal stages is stacked along an axial direction between a cold side and a hot side. A heat exchanger includes a cylindrical stator positioned at and in thermal communication with the cold side or the hot side of the plurality of thermal stages. A cylindrical rotor is spaced from the cylindrical stator by a cylindrical gap. The cylindrical rotor is configured to rotate relative to the cylindrical stator about a rotation axis. A shearing liquid zone is defined between a surface of the cylindrical stator that faces the cylindrical gap and a surface of the cylindrical rotor that faces the cylindrical gap when the cylindrical gap is filled with a liquid.

An electrocaloric module includes an electrocaloric element that includes an electrocaloric film, a first electrode on a first surface of the electrocaloric film, and a second electrode on a second surface of the electrocaloric film. A support is attached along an edge portion of the electrocaloric film, leaving a central portion of the electrocaloric film unsupported film. At least one of the first and second electrodes includes a patterned disposition of conductive material on the film surface. The electrocaloric module also includes a first thermal connection configured to connect to a first thermal flow path between the electrocaloric element and a heat sink, a second thermal connection configured to connect to a second thermal flow path between the electrocaloric element and a heat source, and a power connection connected to the first and second electrodes and configured to connect to a power source.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a magneto-caloric cylinder with a plurality of magneto-caloric stages. Each of the plurality of magneto-caloric stages has a respective Curie temperature. The magneto-caloric cylinder also includes a plurality of insulation blocks and a plurality of pins. The plurality of magneto-caloric stages and the plurality of insulation blocks are distributed sequentially along an axial direction in the order of magneto-caloric stage then insulation block. One or more the plurality of pins extends along the axial direction between each magneto-caloric stage and a respective insulation block within the magneto-caloric cylinder.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a first magneto-caloric cylinder and a second magneto-caloric cylinder. First and second pluralities of thermal stages are stacked along an axial direction between a cold side and a hot side. The second magneto-caloric cylinder and the second plurality of thermal stages are nested concentrically within the first magneto-caloric cylinder and the first plurality of thermal stages. Each thermal stage of the first and second pluralities of thermal stages includes a plurality of magnets and a non-magnetic ring. The plurality of magnets is distributed along a circumferential direction within the non-magnetic ring in each thermal stage of the first and second pluralities of thermal stages.