Energy storage is one of the most important issues for using renewable energy resources. Although liquid hydrogen
is expected as a main energy storage carrier, at the present, a gas compression cycle cooling technique for liquefaction
of hydrogen requires high operation costs. Magnetic refrigeration using magnetocaloric effects is known as an alternative
refrigeration technique. In this review, we introduce the principle of magnetocaloric effects caused by magnetic entropy
changes with varying a magnetic field. Next, the features of magnetocaloric effects in paramagnets are outlined as
refrigerants for adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator working at very low temperatures. Then we note the characteristics
of magnetocaloric effects in ferromagnets as refrigerants for air-conditioner operating at room temperatures. The
potential of magnetocaloric effects induced by spin rearrangement transitions in various magnetic materials is considered
as refrigerants for hydrogen liquefiers working in the intermediate temperature range. As an example, we describe the
highly efficient cooling using pure holmium metal where small magnetic field oscillation superimposed on a static bias
magnetic field are applied around its metamagnetic transitions. Finally, we summarize the future prospects of magnetic
refrigeration efficiently utilizing magnetocaloric effects.
Keywords:magnetic refrigeration, magnetocaloric effect, metamagnetic transition, liquefaction of hydrogen