International Journal of Environmental Science and Development

Abstract—We have developed magnetic refrigerants particles of ferromagnetic Gd-based alloys and a primitive magnetic refrigeration apparatus using permanent magnets to clarify its applicability to common refrigeration. Working temperature range of the magnetic refrigeration can be controlled with the Curie temperatures of the magnetic refrigerants. Several kind of Gd-based spherically-shaped magnetic refrigerant particles have fabricated by a rotating electrode process. Operation of an active magnetic regenerative (AMR) refrigeration cycle with Gd-based magnetic refrigerant particles enabled temperature spans of more than 40 °C to be obtained at room temperature. Optimization of multi-layered structures of magnetic refrigerant materials having different Curie temperatures allowed effective enlargement of the temperature span. We achieved a cold temperature of −11 °C which is the lowest temperature generated by AMR cycle operation under a low magnetic field using permanent magnets. Our results show that magnetic refrigeration has application potential for new environmentally friendly refrigeration technology.

Index Terms—Magnetic refrigeration, magnetocaloric effect, entropy, Gd alloy, environmentally-friendly.

Akiko T. Saito is with the Corporate Research and Development Center, Toshiba Corporation, 1, Komukai-Toshiba, Saiwai, Kawasaki, 212-8582, Japan. She is also with the Department of Urban Environment Systems, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Inage, Chiba 263-8522, Japan (e-mail: aki.saito@toshiba.co.jp).
Tadahiko Kobayashi and Shiori Kaji are with the Corporate Research and Development Center, Toshiba Corporation, 1, Komukai-Toshiba, Saiwai, Kawasaki, 212-8582, Japan.
Jing Li and Hideki Nakagome are with the Department of Urban Environment Systems, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Inage, Chiba 263-8522, Japan (e-mail: nakagome@tu.chiba-u.ac.jp).

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Cite: Akiko T. Saito, Tadahiko Kobayashi, Shiori Kaji, Jing Li, and Hideki Nakagome, "Environmentally Friendly Magnetic Refrigeration Technology Using Ferromagnetic Gd Alloys," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 316-320, 2016.