MAGNETOCALORIC THERMAL APPLICANCE

• US 20120036868A1
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnoric
• Original Assignee: Cooltech Applications S.A.S.
• Inventors: HEITZLER, Jean-Claude, MULLER, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,435,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/00 Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0021 with a static fixed magnet
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0023 with modulation, influencing or enhancing an existing magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

A magnetocaloric thermal appliance (10) comprising at least one thermal module (2) with at least one magnetocaloric element (3) in contact with a heat transfer fluid and at least one magnetic arrangement (4) arranged so as to create a magnetic field in a gap (6) defined by the magnetic arrangement (4). The gap (6) has two openings (7) enabling the passage of the thermal module (2) through the gap (6) by a relative movement between the magnetocaloric element (3) and the gap (6). The positions able to be taken by the magnetocaloric element (3), outside of the gap (6), define magnetocaloric region (8) in which the magnetocaloric region (8) is disposed in an enclosure delimited by the magnetic arrangement (4) comprising a body (11) forming deflector of the magnetic field able to capture and to lead towards the magnetic arrangement (4) flux of magnetic field that appears outside of the gap (6).

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A magnetocaloric thermal appliance (10, 20, 30, 40) comprising at least one thermal module (2) with at least one magnetocaloric element (3) in contact with a heat transfer fluid and at least one magnetic arrangement (4, 5) arranged so as to create a magnetic field in a gap (6) defined by the magnetic arrangement (4, 5), the gap (6) having at least one opening (7) enabling the passage of the thermal module (2) through the gap (6) by relative movement between the magnetocaloric element (3) and the gap (6), where the positions able to be taken by the magnetocaloric element (3) outside of the gap (6) define a magnetocaloric region (8, 9) in which the magnetocaloric region (8, 9) is disposed in an enclosure delimited by the magnetic arrangement (4, 5), comprising a body (11, 12, 13) forming deflector of magnetic field able to capture and to lead towards the magnetic arrangement (4, 5) flux of magnetic field that appears outside of the gap (6).

10. The magnetocaloric thermal appliance according to claim 9, wherein the deflector comprises at least one plate (11, 12) in a ferromagnetic material linked to the magnetic arrangement (4, 5).

11. The magnetocaloric thermal appliance according to claim 10, wherein the plate (11, 12) is located inside a thermoplastic material (14) overmolded on at least one portion of the magnetocaloric arrangement (4, 5).

12. The magnetocaloric thermal appliance according to claim 9, wherein the deflector comprises at least one component (13) in a ferromagnetic material able to concentrate magnetic field leakages that appear in the magnetocaloric region (8, 9) and is disposed in a space situated between two magnetocaloric elements (3) of the thermal module (2).

13. The magnetocaloric thermal appliance according to claim 9, wherein the enclosure delimited by the magnetic arrangement (3) has a volume that is greater than a volume of the magnetocaloric region (8, 9) and comprises at least one recess (15) in which the deflector (11, 12) is disposed.

14. The magnetocaloric thermal appliance according to claim 13, wherein the deflector (11, 12) extends in the recess (15) from a region adjacent to the opening (7) of the gap (6), outside the magnetocaloric region (8, 9) and away from the magnetocaloric region (8, 9).

15. The magnetocaloric thermal appliance according to claim 9, wherein the magnetic arrangement (4) comprises at least a set of two magnetic poles (17) facing each other and forming the gap (6) and linked together at each side of the openings (7) of the gap by a magnetic path returning system (18), and the thermal module (2) comprises at least one magnetocaloric element (3) that is able to move with respect to the gap (6).

16. The magnetocaloric thermal appliance according to claim 9, wherein the magnetic arrangement (5) comprises a rotational structure around a central axis (A) associated with a magnetic return path ring (19), the rotational structure has N magnetic extending poles (21) defining N gaps (6) with the magnetic return path ring (19), the magnetic poles (21) are separated each from other by N volumes (22) forming enclosures delimited by the magnetic arrangement (5), and the thermal module (2) has an annular shape comprising magnetocaloric elements (3).