GE has found a way to cool a fridge with magnets...

[stricklybojack]

says this article in Gizmodo.

G.E. Has Found a Way To Cool a Fridge With Magnets

At one time giant blocks of ice were the best solution we could come up with for keeping food cold. That primitive approach was eventually replaced by

gizmodo.com

 

[firedome]

from a Physics/Thermodynamics point of view

this is a very interesting development...sure like to know what comprises the fluid.

 

[jeffg]

The article comments claim the magic is in the coil (the alloy that cools on exposure to magnetic fields), not the fluid. I'm pretty sure you could send plain water through, and it would still work to some degree.

I really hope this means an end to compressor noise in fridges and A/C.

 

[epixstar128]

Seems interesting but we shall wait and see if anything comes of it

 

[frigilux]

Calling Phil! What's your take on this?

 

[maytagbear]

We wonder if

this is a new era in "Grandma's Art Gallery."

seriously, this is potentially quite a breakthrough.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[stricklybojack]

This is a link...

to the video which explains the mechanism. I somehow missed it my first read through of the article.

 

[danemodsandy]

I Must Be Getting Old:

It seems like only yesterday GE ads were trumpeting that they'd just found a way to close a fridge with magnets!

 

[washer111]

Interesting

Although, slightly interesting as to why you'd change the water direction constantly. Perhaps I ought to watch the video again.

 

If G.E. can find a way to shrink this system down into a smaller size for a refrigerator, we may potentially have a refrigerator that is more reliable than what is offered today: No compressor, no refrigerant.

The ONLY issue I would have is the computer controls and any defrost heaters connected to them. I reckon they'll cheap out on the computer boards so they cannot handle the current required by this "device." I really hope I'm wrong though!

 

[jeffg]

Stricklybojack: Also read the article linked to from Gizmodo's. Turns out these alloys have been known about for decades, but nobody has tried making practical uses from them.

On a related note, I'm still deafened by the silence by our DOE's announcement last year that they had passed the trigger milestone for nuclear fusion. Turns out if you aim 127 20 million degree F lasers at some really cold hydrogen, you get a reliable trigger for a nuclear fusion reaction. Two separate major projects are ongoing in the world, the only difference between them is in containment method (one is mechanical, the other magnetic which I think will eventually be the way it's done).

One fell swoop spells the end of fossil fuels, finally. Anyone remember the Mr. Fusion in Back To The Future? It's within 10 years, maybe five. 1.21 Gigawatts sitting on your kitchen countertop.

 

[kb0nes]

Well its interesting, but hardly a new idea. Perhaps they have developed alloys that are more effective then those used in the past.

The Wiki entry explains it fairly well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_refrigeration

I yet haven't fully wrapped my head around it but it appears that they magnetize the material, which causes it to warm (induction heating) then while holding the domains in position then then cool the material. When the magnetic field is then reversed the material cools. By alternating the cooling fluid back and forth they are able to move heat to one heat exchanger from the other heat exchanger which provides cooling (transfer of heat).

I have one engineer friend that works in the semiconductor field that deals with magnetism and magnetic effects, I'll make a point of discussing this with him to get his take.

All in all the system is pretty complex and I really wonder what kind of efficiency they will be able to ultimately achieve. Traditional phase-change heat transfer refrigeration really works fairly well so it may be tough to beat. One of the best features of this technology is that it does away from halocarbon refrigerants which are generally an environmental nightmare. Stay tuned!

 

[arbilab]

Halocarbon schmalocarbon, you can refrigerate very nicely with air if you throw enough energy at it. With or without phase change. But DuPont would fire the environazis up to find something wrong with air, just like they did with freon when the patent expired and it became satan's breath. [rolleyes]

Lots of plain old carbons make practical refrigerants, with only the small drawback that when they escape they explode. That's how they sold us freon in the first place. Then somebody invented ozone depletion...... hmmm, I wonder who.

 

[dj-gabriele]

Well, over here carbon dioxide, propane, isobutane are becoming more and more common refrigerants in the industry, CO2 is going to be THE refrigerant in cars (transcritical cycle) and high temperature heat pumps (supercritical cycle), R290 (propane) is quite widely used in all-in-one transferable air conditioners already and R600a is the most used refrigerant for domestic refrigerators!
And all of them are virtually harmless to the environment and people, but of course it's a market driven simply by the guys of big-name industries!
But then again the switch over from R22 to R410a had the industry make a leap forward in efficiency and reliability for once didn't suffer!

 

[washer111]

R410A is More Efficient?

Actually, the leap from R-22 to R-410A decreased efficiency. 

 

I've seen the specification for several domestic models change recently - Where the R-22 units have a "Maximum Operating Temperature" of 50ºC, that has been reduced by 5ºC with the advent of R-410A. I don't call that an "increase in efficiency" by ANY stretch of the imagination. 

Of course, they don't want you to know that, and if you do, they'll scare you aware with high servicing costs.

 

A very long time ago, I actually saw a video on YouTube where homeowners were "upset" they weren't told their Air-Conditioner used a type of refrigerant that was being phased out. Boo-Bloodey-Hoo... It's YOUR responsibility when purchasing a house to ensure everything meets YOUR criteria!

 

[stricklybojack]

There is one absolute certainty in all this.

There will be a next upgrade cycle and it will revole around something. True of any consumer product worth it's salt ;-)