From the article:
“The system is based on the magnetocaloric effect, which states that the temperature of a material can be changed by exposing it to a magnetic field. As magnetocaloric materials in the system are put through a cycle of magnetization and demagnetization, a water coolant is pumped through them, transferring the heat from the interior of the fridge to the outside air.”
The basic structure of the new system may sound similar to conventional refrigerators, but it won’t need the chemical refrigerants and compressor to keep things from spoiling. And gone is the high cost, too. Even though the fridge’s of today are more energy efficiency, they still use a lot of electricity and run 24 hours a day. Not to mention the environmental hazard and how downright loud they can be. Remember my joke?
Without the gas compression system, the MRS will only consume half the energy of a standard fridge, produce less noise and vibration, and require less maintenance. And the levels of magnetic emissions are reportedly far lower than even an individual magnet you’d stick on the fridge!
This idea isn’t new but this is the first time the technology has become available to the public. Previously, the machines were too big for common use, and not as effective as a conventional fridge. While GE managed to shrink the system a couple years ago and was able to, “reduce the temperature of a fluid by 80° F (a total of 44.4° C) by having it pass by magnets arranged into 50 different cooling stages”, the prototype was still too complex and bulky.
For their first go round, Cooltech’s MRS400, will be used in refrigerated retail display cases, wine cellars, and medical facilities. In fact, it’s currently being beta-tested in three locations. The machine has 400 W of cooling power, which keeps the internal temperature between 35.6° F and 41° F (2° C and 5° C), and that’s well within the recommended levels for safe food storage.
For more info, you can check out their website!
Source: Gizmag
