Cooling cycles based on the AF-F transition in Fe-Rh induced by magnetic field

By using the model S-T diagram of the Fe-Rh alloy in the first-order antiferromagnetism-ferromagnetism phase transition region, the cooling cycles are drawn up based both on the latent heat of transition absorption and emission when the transition is induced isothermally and on the change in the temperature of the alloy when the transition is induced adiabatically by applying magnetic field. It is found that the values of the coefficient of performance of similar to38 at DeltaT = 5 K and similar to29 at DeltaT = 10 K near room temperature, where DeltaT is the difference between the temperature of the surroundings and that of the cooled object, can be reached when organizing the cooling cycles based on adiabatic inducement the AF <----> F transition by field within the limits of 2.2 x 10(6) A m(-1). (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.