Patent ID: 8104293

Claim:
A method comprising: controlling a temperature of the plurality of magneto-caloric elements to be substantially equal to an activation temperature of each respective magneto-caloric element, wherein said controlling includes: subjecting magneto-caloric elements in a first magneto-caloric block to a magnetic regenerative refrigeration cycle to regulate a temperature of magneto-caloric elements of a second magneto-caloric block, wherein said regulation includes selectively establishing thermal contact between the magneto-caloric elements of the first and second magneto-caloric block and one or both of a medium flow configured to transfer thermal energy to the magneto-caloric elements of the first magneto-caloric block and a medium flow configured to receive thermal energy from the magneto-caloric elements of the first magneto-caloric block; when the temperature of the magneto-caloric elements of the second magneto-caloric block is substantially equal to an activation temperature for the magneto-caloric elements of the second magneto-caloric block, and while subjecting the magneto-caloric elements in the first magneto-caloric block to the magnetic regenerative refrigeration cycle, subjecting the magneto-caloric elements in the second magneto-caloric block to a magnetic regenerative refrigeration cycle.