• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.186-191
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• 2008

In this study, a room temperature AMRR (Active magnetic regenerative refrigerator) was fabricated, and experimentally investigated. Gadolinium (Gd) was selected as a magnetic refrigerant with Curie temperature of 293 K. Permanent magnet was utilized to magnetize and demagnetize the AMR. To produce large magnetic field above 1 T in the magnetic refrigeration space, a special arrangement of permanent magnets, so called Halbach array, is employed. Sixteen segments of the permanent magnets magnetized different direction, constitute a hollow cylindrical shaped permanent magnet. The AMR is reciprocated along the bore of the magnet array and produces cooling power. Helium is selected as the working fluid and a helium compressor is utilized to supply helium flow to the regenerator. The fabricated AMRR has different structure and compared to a convectional AMRR since it has an additional volume after the regenerator. Therefore, the cooling ability is generated not only by magnetocaloric effect of magnetic refrigerant but also by the pulse tube effect. It is verified that the cooling ability of AMR is increased due to the magnetocalric effect by the fact that the temperature span becomes $16^{\circ}C$ while the temperature span is only $8^{\circ}C$ when the magnetic field is not applied to the regenerator.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.60-64
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• 2012

In this paper, an investigation of a room temperature active magnetic regenerative refrigerator is carried out. Experimental apparatus includes two active magnetic regenerators containing 186 g of Gd spheres. Four E-type thermocouples are installed inside the Active magnetic regenerator(AMR) to observe the instantaneous temperature variation of AMR. Both warm and cold heat exchangers are designed for large temperature span. The cold heat exchanger, which separates the two AMRs, employs a copper tube with length of 80 mm and diameter of 6.35 mm. In order to minimize dead volume between the warm heat exchanger and AMRs, the warm heat exchangers are located close to the AMRs. The deionized water is used as a heat transfer fluid, and maximum 1.4 T magnetic field is supplied by Halbach array of permanent magnets. The AMR plate, which contains the warm and the cold heat exchangers and the AMRs, has reciprocating motion using a linear actuator and each AMR is alternatively magnetized and demagnetized by a Halbach array of permanent magnet. Since the gap of the Halbach array of permanent magnets is 25 mm and two warm heat exchangers have the motion through it, a compact printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is used as a warm heat exchanger. A maximum no-load temperature span of 26.8 K and a maximum cooling power of 33 W are obtained from the fabricated Active Magnetic Regenerative Refrigerator (AMRR).

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2013

This paper reviews the development status of magnetic refrigeration system for hydrogen liquefaction. There is no doubt that hydrogen is one of most important energy sources in the near future. In particular, liquid hydrogen can be utilized for infrastructure construction consisting of storage and transportation. Liquid hydrogen is in cryogenic temperatures and therefore high efficient liquefaction method must be studied. Magnetic refrigeration which uses the magneto-caloric effect has potential to realize not only the higher liquefaction efficiency > 50 %, but also to be environmentally friendly and cost effective. Our hydrogen magnetic refrigeration system consists of Carnot cycle for liquefaction stage and AMR (active magnetic regenerator) cycle for precooling stages. For the Carnot cycle, we develop the high efficient system > 80 % liquefaction efficiency by using the heat pipe. For the AMR cycle, we studied two kinds of displacer systems, which transferred the working fluid. We confirmed the AMR effect with the cooling temperature span of 12 K for 1.8 T of the magnetic field and 6 second of the cycle. By using the simulation, we estimate the total efficiency of the hydrogen liquefaction plant for 10 kg/day. A FOM of 0.47 is obtained in the magnetic refrigeration system operation temperature between 20 K and 77 K including LN2 work input.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2017

Recently international cooperations are formed to deal with the environmental pollution of the atmosphere generated by the vapor compression refrigeration system. A refrigeration technique, which can replace existing CFC refrigerants that are the main cause of environmental contamination, has received greater attention. Magnetic refrigeration is a refrigeration technique using the magnetocaloric effect of the magnetic material, and is an eco-friendly refrigeration technology using the solid refrigerant instead of CFC refrigerants. Also it is regarded as an efficient refrigeration system to generate temperature difference between high and low sides using the temperature change of magnetic refrigerants according to the change of magnetic field, instead of using power-consuming and noisy compressor. In this paper, we introduce the magnetic refrigeration apparatus using concentric Halbach cylinder permanent magnets and the experimental results using the apparatus.

• The Magazine of the Society of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers of Korea
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.48-54
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• 2000

자성재료에 자기장을 걸어주변 가열되고 자기장을 제거하면 냉각되는 성질이 있는데, 이를 자기열량효과(magnetocaloric effect)라고 하며, 이것을 이용해서 저온을 생성시키는 방법을 자기냉동(magnetic refrigeration)이라고 한다. 큐리 온도(Curie temperature) 부근의 강자성체에 자 기장이 가해지면 전자례도내에서 쌍을 이루지 않은 전자들의 자기모벤트들이 자기장에 평행 하게 배열되는데, 이로 인해 열역학적 무질서의 척도인 엔트로피는 낮아지고 이러한 손실을 보상하기 위해 재료의 온도가 올라가게 된다.반대로 자기장이 제거되면 자기모벤트가 본래의 무질서한 상태로 돌아오며, 엔트로피가 증가하 고 재료의 온도는 떨어지게 되는 것이다. 역사적으로 보면 1881년에 Warburg가 큐리온도 부근의 철에서 자기열량효과를 처음 발견하였으며. 1926년과 1927년에 Debye와 Giauque가 각각 단열소자볍 (adiabatic demagnetization)을 제안함으로써 실용화되기 시작하여 주로 극저온을 얻는 방법으로 이용되어 왔다. 1950년도 이전의 연구는 절대온도 영도(OK)에 도달하고 자 하는 순수과학적인 노력으로서 개방사이클(open cycle)을 이용한 단열냉각 방식을 추구하 였으나, 1950년 이후부터는 공학적인 응용을 목적으로 밀폐사이클(closed cycle)을 형성하는 자기냉동기에 관한 연구가 진행되었다. 1976년에 Brown은 희토류(rare earth) 금속인 가돌리늄(Gd)을 사용하여 유체(물 80%와 에틸 알코올 20%)를 재생시킴으로써 상온에서 작동 하는 자기냉동기를 보고한 바 있다. 그는 7 T의 큰 자장을 이용하였으며, 고온부와 저온부의 온도는 각각 $46^{\circ}C와\;-1^{\circ}C로서\;47^{\circ}C$의 온도간격을 얻었다. 자기냉동에 있어서의 또 하나의 중요한 진전은 1978년과 1982년에 Steyert와 Barclay에 의해서 능동자기재생기(active magnetic r regenerator)의 개념이 소개되고 개발된 것으로, 이는 자성재료가 냉매로서 뿐만 아니라 열전달 유체의 재생기로도 사용되는 방식이다. 이상과 같은 자기냉동기술의 발달에 이어서 1997년에 미국의 Astronautics사(Wisconsin주 Madison시 소재)와 Ames 연구소(Iowa주 Ames 시 소재)의 공동연구팀이 발표한 두 가지의 새로운 진전으로 인해 공기조화 및 냉동분야에 적용할 수 있는 자기냉동기의 실용화 가능성이 한층 높아졌다. 이들의 연구결과는 (1) 자기냉동이 실온에서도 실현 가능한 기술이며 증기압 축식 냉동에 필적할 만하다는 것을 보인 것과 (2) 이미 알려져 있던 자기냉동재료보다 자기 열량효과가 훨씬 큰 새로운 재료를 발견한 것이다. 이로써 자기냉동에 대한 관심과 기대가 한결 커지고 있다. 본 원고에서는 자기냉동의 원리가 되는 자기열량효과와 이를 이용한 자기냉동의 방법 그리고 최근에 이루어진 새로운 진전에 대해 소개하고 공기조화 및 냉동분야에의 적용 가능성을 전망해 보고자 한다.