Abstract
The power consumption of an air conditioner in an electric vehicle has a considerable impact on the cruising range. A high-performance magnetic refrigerator is therefore one of the important technologies needed for future electric vehicles. The requisite conditions for an in-vehicle magnetic refrigerator are higher with respect to cooling power density, temperature difference between the hot and cold sides, transient properties, and coefficient of performance than those of household refrigerators or home air-conditioners. We have devised a new model without a refrigerant in which heat is transported from the cold to the hot side through well-controlled thermal switches. A test rig to verify a heat transfer mechanism of the model has been created. The heat transfer mechanism has been experimentally verified in addition to an investigation of the heat transport characteristics. Furthermore, the refrigerating capacities also have been clarified by numerical simulation under the conditions for an in-vehicle refrigerator.
