AMR (Active Magnetic Regenerative) refrigeration for low temperature

Abstract

This paper reviews AMR (Active Magnetic Regenerative) refrigeration technology for low temperature applications that is a novel cooling method to expand the temperature span of magnetic refrigerator. The key component of the AMR system is a porous magnetic regenerator which allows a heat transfer medium (typically helium gas) to flow through it and therefore obviate intermittently operating an external heat switch. The AMR system alternatingly heats and cools the heat transfer medium by convection when the magneto-caloric effect is created under varying magnetic field. AMR may extend the temperature span for wider range than ADR (Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator) at higher temperatures above 10 K because magneto-caloric effects are typically concentrated in a small temperature range in usual magnetic refrigerants. The regenerative concept theoretically enables each magnetic refrigerant to experience a pseudo-Carnot magnetic refrigeration cycle in a wide temperature span if it is properly designed, although adequate thermodynamic matching of strongly temperature-dependent MCE (magneto-caloric effect) of the regenerator material and the heat capacity of fluid flow is often tricky due to inherent characteristics of magnetic materials. This paper covers historical developments, fundamental concepts, key components, applications, and recent research trends of AMR refrigerators for liquid helium or liquid hydrogen temperatures.