Design of a permanent magnetic circuit with air gap in a magnetic refrigerator

We calculate the magnetic field distribution of a permanent magnetic circuit with an air gap in a magnetic refrigerator by a finite-element method, and compare the field strengths of different structural parameters of the magnetic circuit. We show how the structure of the magnetic circuit can be optimized and present some approaches to improve the structure for a specific magnetic circuit. The main purpose is to provide basic parameters for the design of a practical magnetic refrigerator.