VATIS UPDATE Article

Cooltech Applications (Cooltech), France, has launched first commercial magnetic cooling system for its magnetic refrigeration system (MRS) product line. The magnetic cooling system utilizes a water coolant instead of a refrigerant gas – a major contributor to climate change – resulting in an eco-friendly solution that consumes minimal energy. With cooling powers between 200W and 700W, the MRS product line is optimized for a wide range of products in commercial refrigeration, including medical refrigerators, display cabinets, beverage dispensers, store plugins, and wine cellars, a market that is worth over $20b a year.

“The MRS200 was successfully demonstrated last year at the Medica tradeshow in one of our medical refrigerating equipment. We are looking forward to replacing compressor-based units in the near future and expect a very positive market reaction to this major innovation,” said Jochen Kopitzke, at Kirsch International, a leading manufacturer of medical equipment. Based on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE), which is the heating or cooling of magnetic material caused by applying a magnetic field to it, the MRS eliminates the harmful gases that are used in compression-based refrigerators.

The magnetic unit operates at low pressure with low rotational speed virtually eliminating vibrations, cutting noise to less than 35 decibels (db), and reducing maintenance costs. The whole system enjoys a quasi-indefinite lifespan. The MRS400 is in beta testing at three sites in various configurations and is presently available for integration. An MRS version generating high cooling power – 20 kilowatt (kW) and beyond – is under development for industrial applications. Contact: Cooltech Applications. Tel: +33-0-388-104-790; E-mail: v.delecourt@cooltech-applications.com.