Debut for magnetic refrigeration wine cooler
A prototype wine cooler using magneto caloric technology is being presented at a consumer electronics show in Las Vegas.
The magenetocaloric heat pump incorporated within the Haier wine cooler is the result of collaboration between global technology company Astronautics Corporation of America and chemical company BASF. It has been featured at the CES (consumer electronics show) in Las Vegas until January 9.
Magenetocaloric technology is based on the fact that magneto caloric materials warm-up in the presence of a magnetic field and cool down when the field is removed.
This “magnetic” refrigeration is one of a number of technologies seen as a possible future, more efficient and “greener” alternative to current vapor compression systems. However, one of the major stumbling blocks has been in finding effective magneto caloric materials (expensive rare earths are often a focus for research) to produce a system that would be commercially viable in terms of size, weight and cost …