Magnetocaloric heat-pump cycles based on the AF-F transition in Fe-Rh alloys

The proposal involves a heat-pumping scheme based upon the first-order antiferromagnetism-ferromagnetism transition in FeRh alloy. Using the model S-T diagram for this alloy, the heat-pump cycles, are drawn up based on the transition latent heat absorption and emission when the transition is induced by applying magnetic field. The calculated values of heat coefficient (p for the cycles are similar to 39 at DeltaT = 5 K and similar to 30 at DeltaT = 10 K, where DeltaT is the difference between the temperature surrounding and that of the heat receiver. These values are achieved using the comparatively low magnetic fields of similar to 2 x 10(6) Am-1. The high values of phi, together with high value of cooling capacity, make it possible to consider Fe-Rh alloys as an effective magnetic heat-pump working body near the room temperature.. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.