Magnet-Based Refrigerator is Eco-Friendly and More Efficient

Feb-17-14 A breakthrough that uses magnets to increase the efficiency of refrigeration could find its way into consumer refrigerators by the end of the decade.

The idea of magnetic refrigeration, called the magnetocaloric effect, has been known since the 1880s, when Emil Warburg observed that some materials would change temperature when they were exposed to a magnetic field. However, previous attempts to create a practical refrigerator unit using the method resulted in a cooling of only a few degrees.

In order to create a more effective system, the team from GE developed new nickel-manganese alloys for magnets and arranged them in a series of cooling stages. A water-based fluid transfers heat by flowing through the series of magnets, resulting in the temperature reducing by 80 degrees. Not only is the system more efficient, it also reduces the amount of harmful chemicals used in refrigerator manufacturing and makes it much easier to recycle old units.

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[GIZMAG.COM]
[GE]

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