This doctoral thesis focuses on the analysis of a single-stage magnetocaloric cooling device with thermal switches. In the first part, we developed a one-dimensional numerical model of the device with two solid-state electrostatic thermal switches. We focused on how material and geometry properties as well as operating parameters influence the temperature range and cooling power density of the magnetocaloric device. By evaluating the temperature difference between the cold and hot heat exchanger, we were able to identify the parameters that most affect the performance of the device. An experimental investigation was carried out to determine the effects of temperature and pressure load on the thermal contact resistance between the components in contact. A prototype was designed to perform an experimental parametric analysis of the operation of the thermal switch that changes the contact based on an electrostatic field. The experimental results obtained show that the device with a thermal switch does not achieve operating frequencies and cooling performances comparable to the existing active magnetic regenerators. The main reasons for this were the high thermal contact resistance, the heat gains from the surroundings, the heat gains through the air gap and the heat gains due to magnetic core heating. The findings of this doctoral thesis are not limited to (magneto)caloric technologies. They are applicable to any thermal management system where temporal and spatial control of the intensity and direction of heat flow between components is crucial for optimal performance.
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