physorg.com — U. of Cambridge researchers have developed a non-toxic and inexpensive alloy which gets colder when placed in a magnetic field (magnetocaloric effect). [Practical] refrigeration based on this effect could be up to 40% more energy efficient than conventional techniques (and much more quiet).
Apr 22, 2006 View in Crawl 4
waterdragonApr 22, 2006
Cool link! (NPI)Now if they just add some of those Tesla - based 'magnetic motors' (as referenced in the movie "Free Energy--the Race to Zero Point"), they can build a fridge that uses no electricity from external sorces, deriving all its power from magnets.(until the magnets in the motors are exhausted and need replacing.) Next step is to find a way to recycle or somehow convert all that thermal waste.As a computer, I hate thermal pollution!
mechtechApr 22, 2006
@geminitrojanusThe U.S. standard ton of refrigeration describes an amount of cooling, not a refrigerators weight!. One standard ton = 288,000 Btuist removed, which is approximately the cooling provided by melting 2009.1 pounds of ice. Extracting heat at the rate of 1 commercial ton of refrigeration results in a standard ton removed each day.
tedcApr 22, 2006
"When this alloy is placed in a magnetic field, it gets colder."Er...if I'm not mistaken, the magnetic field actually heats up the alloy. Removing the field is what gives you the cooling. In a magnetic fridge, you would presumably have to vent off the excess heat until it settles back to room temperature. Then switching off the field would drop you down to well below that.
kyle90Apr 22, 2006
Y'know, I've heard of fridge magnets, but this is just ridiculous!
reinmasamuriApr 22, 2006
So here's a question. Can you keep an ice box cool by throwing a couple of earth magnets in with it? Or does it for some reason need to be an electro-magnetic field?
abhiraoApr 23, 2006
So what happens when i stick a can of coke in this fridge?
toneillApr 4, 2009
<a class="user" href="http://www.getecube.com">http://www.getecube.com</a>Here's a simple gadget that saves up to 30% of the energy on refrigerators, takes 5 minutes to install. Pretty cool.