Abstract: The invention provides an alloy comprising e.g. manganese, iron, vanadium, phosphor and silicon. The invention also provides an apparatus comprising a magnetic field generator, a heat sink, the thermo element, a heat source, and a control system, wherein in a controlling mode the control system is configured to select between (i) a first configuration wherein the magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field, the thermo element is exposed to the magnetic field, and heat from the thermo element is transferred to the heat sink, and (ii) a second configuration, wherein the thermo element is not exposed to the magnetic field, and heat from a heat source is transferred to the thermo element.

Abstract: A magnetocaloric lattice element formed by fibres of magnetocaloric material, wherein the fibres are arranged in respective parallel lattice planes, each fibre having a respective mass of magnetocaloric material, the fibres of given lattice plane do not contact each other but each fibre of a given lattice plane is attached to at least two fibres in a next neighbouring lattice place, and wherein the magnetocaloric lattice element exhibits exactly one predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension.

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetocaloric lattice element formed by fibres of magnetocaloric material, wherein the fibres are arranged in respective parallel lattice planes, each fibre having a respective mass of magnetocaloric material, the fibres of a given lattice plane do not contact each other but each fibre of a given lattice plane is attached to at least two fibres in a next neighbouring lattice plane, and wherein the magnetocaloric lattice element exhibits exactly one predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension. When arranged in alignment of its predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension with an external magnetic field, the magnetocaloric lattice element achieves an advantageous, particularly high magnetization of the magnetocaloric material, and as a consequence improves the performance of the magnetocaloric cooling device.