HARD FROST: The solid-state magnetic fridge represents the first fundamental change in refrigeration technology for more than 100 years

摘要

REFRIGERATION is a multi-billion dollar business, with a huge environmental impact. The annual world-wide equipment business is worth in excess of USD40bn, with an associated services maintenance and installation market valued at over USD140bn. In the UK, refrigeration accounts for more than 15 of electricity consumption, while during the summer months in the US the corresponding figure is close to 50. Remarkably, the technology of refrigeration has remained essentially unchanged for well over 100 years. The central principle is the use of liquid-vapour, vapour-liquid phase transitions to move heat from the interior of the fridge to the surrounding air. The basic idea may be simple, but getting it to work depends on having a refrigerant with just the right properties. First and foremost, the phase transitions have to occur at room temperature, but the ideal refrigerant will also be non-toxic, non-corrosive and environmentally benign. We're still some way from this ideal.