Provided is a magnetic refrigeration material represented by the formula La.sub.1-fRE.sub.f(Fe.sub.1-a-b-c-d-eSi.sub.aCo.sub.bX.sub.cY.sub.dZ.sub.e).sub.13 (RE: at least one of rare earth elements including Sc and Y and excluding La; X: Ga and/or Al; Y: at least one of Ge, Sn, B, and C; Z: at least one of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Zr; 0.03≦a≦0.17, 0.003≦b≦0.06, 0.02≦c≦0.10, 0≦d≦0.04, 0≦e≦0.04, 0≦f≦0.50), and having an average crystal grain size of not smaller than 0.01 μm and not larger than 3 μm, a Curie temperature of not lower than 250 K, and the maximum (−ΔS.sub.max) of magnetic entropy change (−ΔS.sub.M) when subjected to a field change up to 2 Tesla is not less than 5 J/kgK.

This magnetic refrigeration module includes a magnetic refrigeration operation unit which has a magnetic refrigeration material, and extends in a longitudinal direction, and a fixed magnetic field excitation unit and a variable magnetic field excitation unit which are disposed apart from each other in an outer peripheral direction of the magnetic refrigeration operation unit, in which the fixed magnetic field excitation unit applies a fixed magnetic field to the magnetic refrigeration operation unit, and the variable magnetic field excitation unit applies a variable magnetic field to the magnetic refrigeration operation unit when being in an ON state and does not apply the variable magnetic field to the magnetic refrigeration operation unit when being in an OFF state.

An article for magnetic heat exchange comprising a magnetocalorically active phase with a NaZn.sub.13-type crystal structure is provided by hydrogenating a bulk precursor article. The bulk precursor article is heated from a temperature of less than 50° C. to at least 300° C. in an inert atmosphere and hydrogen gas only introduced when a temperature of at least 300° C. is reached. The bulk precursor article is maintained in a hydrogen containing atmosphere at a temperature in the range 300° C. to 700° C. for a selected duration of time, and then cooled to a temperature of less than 50° C.

This invention provides a regenerator material having a high specific heat, particularly in the temperature range of 10 to 25K, and a regenerator and a refrigerator comprising the regenerator material. The present invention specifically provides an HoCu-based regenerator material represented by general formula (1): HoCu.sub.2-xM.sub.x (1), wherein x is 0<x≤1, and M is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Al and transition metal elements (excluding Cu), as well as a regenerator and a refrigerator comprising the regenerator material.

This invention relates to magnetocaloric materials comprising alloys useful for magnetic refrigeration applications. In some embodiments, the disclosed alloys may be 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 limited thermal and structural hysteresis losses. This makes these compositions attractive candidates for use in magnetic refrigeration applications. Surprisingly, the performance of the disclosed materials is similar or better to many of the known expensive rare-earth based magnetocaloric materials.

There are provided a method for producing a magnetic refrigeration material whose magnetic transition temperature can be adjusted with high accuracy, and a magnetic refrigeration material whose magnetic transition temperature has been adjusted with high accuracy. The magnetic refrigeration material production method of the present invention includes the steps of: preparing a first predetermined magnetic refrigeration material and a second predetermined magnetic refrigeration material which differs from the first magnetic refrigeration material; and mixing the first magnetic refrigeration material and the second magnetic refrigeration material to obtain a third magnetic refrigeration material. The content of the first magnetic refrigeration material and the content of the second magnetic refrigeration material in the third magnetic refrigeration material are determined by the magnetic transition temperatures of the first magnetic refrigeration material and the second magnetic refrigeration material and by a target magnetic transition temperature of the third magnetic refrigeration material. The magnetic refrigeration material of the present invention includes at least a first predetermined magnetic refrigeration material and a second predetermined magnetic refrigeration material which differs from the first magnetic refrigeration material. The absolute value of the difference between the magnetic transition temperature of the present magnetic refrigeration material and a target magnetic transition temperature is 0.7 K or less.

The invention provides an alloy comprising e.g. manganese, iron, vanadium, phosphor and silicon. The invention also provides an apparatus comprising a magnetic field generator, a heat sink, the thermo element, a heat source, and a control system, wherein in a controlling mode the control system is configured to select between (i) a first configuration wherein the magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field, the thermo element is exposed to the magnetic field, and heat from the thermo element is transferred to the heat sink, and (ii) a second configuration, wherein the thermo element is not exposed to the magnetic field, and heat from a heat source is transferred to the thermo element.

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.

There are provided a method for producing a magnetic refrigeration material whose magnetic transition temperature can be adjusted with high accuracy, and a magnetic refrigeration material whose magnetic transition temperature has been adjusted with high accuracy. The magnetic refrigeration material production method of the present invention includes the steps of: preparing a first predetermined magnetic refrigeration material and a second predetermined magnetic refrigeration material which differs from the first magnetic refrigeration material; and mixing the first magnetic refrigeration material and the second magnetic refrigeration material to obtain a third magnetic refrigeration material. The content of the first magnetic refrigeration material and the content of the second magnetic refrigeration material in the third magnetic refrigeration material are determined by the magnetic transition temperatures of the first magnetic refrigeration material and the second magnetic refrigeration material and by a target magnetic transition temperature of the third magnetic refrigeration material. The magnetic refrigeration material of the present invention includes at least a first predetermined magnetic refrigeration material and a second predetermined magnetic refrigeration material which differs from the first magnetic refrigeration material. The absolute value of the difference between the magnetic transition temperature of the present magnetic refrigeration material and a target magnetic transition temperature is 0.7 K or less.

A packaging structure with a magnetocaloric material, comprising a substrate, a plurality of electrical connection structures, a die, and a sealing compound. A magnetocaloric material is added to the substrate. The die is electrically connected to the substrate through the electrical connection structures, and then encapsulated with the sealing compound. When the packaging structure is turned on, the magnetocaloric material in the substrate creates a magnetocaloric effect, which can not only take away the temperature of the packaging structure through magnetic refrigeration, but also increase the temperature difference between the packaging structure and the outside, thereby improving the efficiency of heat dissipation.