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.

A magnetic refrigeration apparatus includes a main channel, a magnetic refrigerator, a fluid transfer mechanism connected to the main channel, and at least one control valve. A heating medium flows through the main channel. The magnetic refrigerator includes a magnetic working substance, a casing having a channel connected to the main channel, and a magnetic field modulator that applies a magnetic field variation to the magnetic working substance. The fluid transfer mechanism alternately performs a first operation of transferring the heating medium in the main channel in a first direction, and a second operation of transferring the heating medium in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The main channel includes at least one branch channel branching from a portion of the main channel between the magnetic refrigerator and the fluid transfer mechanism. The at least one control valve is connected to the at least one branch channel.

Provided is a magnetic cooling device including: in a hollow container, an inert gas; a material filling part containing a refrigerant and magnetic material particles having a magnetocaloric effect; gas storages containing the refrigerant at both ends of the material filling part; and material partitions between the material filling part and the gas storages, in which a volume proportion of the inert gas in the hollow container is 1 vol % or more and 12 vol % or less.

A heat pump system includes a magneto-caloric material disposed within a chamber of a regenerator housing. A back iron extends between an outer magnet and an inner magnet in order to provide a flux path between the outer and inner magnets. At least a portion of the back iron extends between the outer and inner magnets along the radial direction and is not positioned coplanar with the inner and outer magnets in a plane that is perpendicular to the axial direction. A related refrigerator appliance is also provided.

A thermomagnetic cycle device includes: a magneto-caloric element; a magnetic field modulation device that modulates an external magnetic field applied to the magneto-caloric element; a heat transport device that generates a both-way flow of heat transport medium; a phase controller that adjusts a phase difference between a magnetic field phase of change in the external magnetic field generated by the magnetic field modulation device and a flow phase of the both-way flow generated by the heat transport device; and a control device that controls the phase controller. The control device includes: a phase acquisition part that acquires the flow phase of the both-way flow of the heat transport medium or a reaction phase represented by change in heat emitted or absorbed by the magneto-caloric element; and a control part that controls the phase controller based on the flow phase or the reaction phase.

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.

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.

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.