MAGNETO-CALORIC EFFECT TYPE HEAT PUMP APPARATUS

• US 20120266607A1
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Morimoto, Tsuyoshi, Watanabe, Naoki, Yatsuzuka, Shinichi, Nishizawa, Kazutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,534,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00899 Controlling the flow of liquid in a heat pump system controlling the properties of the refrigerant liquid, e.g. pressure or temperature, B60H1/3204
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/32 Cooling devices B60H1/00478, B60H1/005 take precedence; vehicles adapted to transport refrigerated goods B60P3/20
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/00 Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0022 with a rotating or otherwise moving magnet
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

A magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus includes a magneto-caloric element which generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied to and which absorbs heat when the external magnetic field is removed from; a magnetic field switcher which switches the applying and the removal of the external magnetic field from each other; a pump pumping a heat transport medium between a low-temperature end and a high-temperature end of the magneto-caloric element; and an auxiliary heat source device which supplies heat of a heating element to the magneto-caloric element.

Claims

1. A magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus which supplies heat of a main heat source to a thermal load, the magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus comprising:

a magneto-caloric element which generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied to and which absorbs heat when the external magnetic field is removed from;

a magnetic field switcher which switches the external magnetic field between the applying and the removal;

a pump pumping heat transport medium from a low-temperature end of the magneto-caloric element toward a high-temperature end of the magneto-caloric element when the external magnetic field is applied to the magneto-caloric element, and pumping heat transport medium from the high-temperature end toward the low-temperature end when the external magnetic field is removed from the magneto-caloric element; and

an auxiliary heat source device which supplies heat of a heating element to the magneto-caloric element.

2. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to the magneto-caloric element through the heat transport medium.

3. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the auxiliary heat source device includes a heat exchanger that transmits the heat of the heating element to the heat transport medium.

4. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to the magneto-caloric element from an intermediate position located between the low temperature end and the high temperature end.

5. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to the magneto-caloric element from a position adjacent to the high temperature end rather than a middle position between the low temperature end and the high temperature end.

6. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the magneto-caloric element has a plurality of element units that respectively have efficient temperature ranges different from each other, the element unit having high magneto-caloric effect in the efficient temperature range,

the plurality of element units are arranged in series between the high temperature end and the low temperature end in a manner that the efficient temperature ranges are aligned, and

the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to one of the plurality of element units that has the efficient temperature range corresponding to a temperature of the heat of the heating element.

7. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to the low temperature end of the magneto-caloric element.

8. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the main heat source is outside air outside of a vehicle, and the thermal load is inside air inside of the vehicle, and

the heating element is an inverter device that supplies electricity to a driving motor for driving the vehicle.

9. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an outdoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the main heat source;

a low-temperature circulation passage passing through the outdoor heat exchanger;

an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the thermal load; and

a high-temperature circulation passage passing through the indoor heat exchanger, wherein

the pump discharges the heat transport medium to the high-temperature circulation passage from the high-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the low-temperature end to the high-temperature end,

the pump draws the heat transport medium from the high-temperature circulation passage to the high-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the high-temperature end to the low-temperature end,

the pump discharges the heat transport medium to the low-temperature circulation passage from the low-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the high-temperature end to the low-temperature end, and

the pump draws the heat transport medium from the low-temperature circulation passage to the low-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the low-temperature end to the high-temperature end.

10. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the magneto-caloric element includes

a first part arranged in a first unit, the first part having the high-temperature end and a middle low-temperature end opposite from the high-temperature end, and

a second part arranged in a second unit, the second part having the low-temperature end and a middle high-temperature end opposite from the low-temperature end,

the magnetic field switcher includes

a first permanent magnet arranged in the first unit, the first permanent magnet switching the external magnetic field between the applying and the removal for the first part of the magneto-caloric element by rotating, and

a second permanent magnet arranged in the second unit, the second permanent magnet switching the external magnetic field between the applying and the removal for the second part of the magneto-caloric element by rotating,

the pump discharges the heat transport medium to the high-temperature circulation passage from the high-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the middle low-temperature end to the high-temperature end in the first unit,

the pump draws the heat transport medium from the high-temperature circulation passage to the high-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the high-temperature end to the middle low-temperature end in the first unit,

the pump discharges the heat transport medium to the low-temperature circulation passage from the low-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the middle high-temperature end to the low-temperature end in the second unit, and

the pump draws the heat transport medium from the low-temperature circulation passage to the low-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the low-temperature end to the middle high-temperature end in the second unit.