%0 Journal Article %1 Glanz1998 %A Glanz, James %D 1998 %J Science %K 1998 entropy magnetism refrigeration %N 5359 %P 2045 %R 10.1126/science.279.5359.2045 %T Making a Bigger Chill With Magnets %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.279.5359.2045 %V 279 %X Refrigerator magnets are best known for holding shopping lists and old postcards onto refrigerator doors. But in a few years, much more powerful magnets could be the key to keeping food cold in so-called magnetocaloric refrigerators, which would be more energy efficient and less polluting than standard models. Now a new class of magnetocaloric materials, announced here last week at a meeting of the American Physical Society, could make these magnetic refrigerators more practical and versatile. The magnetocaloric effect works when strong magnetic fields align quantum-mechanical “spins” of electrons within atoms. This transition reduces one aspect of the randomness, or entropy, of the atoms. But according to laws of thermodynamics, some other aspect of randomness has to increase in compensation, so the atoms increase the randomness of their velocities—vibrating and heating up. Once this heat is carried away by a coolant such as water, the field is removed and the effect works in reverse, chilling the material and cooling a refrigerator. To date, the peak performance has been with the element gadolinium.

@article{Glanz1998, abstract = {Refrigerator magnets are best known for holding shopping lists and old postcards onto refrigerator doors. But in a few years, much more powerful magnets could be the key to keeping food cold in so-called magnetocaloric refrigerators, which would be more energy efficient and less polluting than standard models. Now a new class of magnetocaloric materials, announced here last week at a meeting of the American Physical Society, could make these magnetic refrigerators more practical and versatile. The magnetocaloric effect works when strong magnetic fields align quantum-mechanical “spins” of electrons within atoms. This transition reduces one aspect of the randomness, or entropy, of the atoms. But according to laws of thermodynamics, some other aspect of randomness has to increase in compensation, so the atoms increase the randomness of their velocities—vibrating and heating up. Once this heat is carried away by a coolant such as water, the field is removed and the effect works in reverse, chilling the material and cooling a refrigerator. To date, the peak performance has been with the element gadolinium. }, added-at = {2011-01-21T15:03:21.000+0100}, author = {Glanz, James}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/23b5e25277490c1c0627aa91df5f6dc9b/thorade}, description = {Making a Bigger Chill With Magnets | Science/AAAS}, doi = {10.1126/science.279.5359.2045}, interhash = {18fb2a4aeba5d75c11c74ccc59c311bc}, intrahash = {3b5e25277490c1c0627aa91df5f6dc9b}, journal = {Science}, keywords = {1998 entropy magnetism refrigeration}, number = 5359, pages = 2045, timestamp = {2011-01-21T15:03:21.000+0100}, title = {Making a Bigger Chill With Magnets}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.279.5359.2045}, volume = 279, year = 1998 }