THERMO-MAGNETIC CYCLE APPARATUS

• US 20120285179A1
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Morimoto, Tsuyoshi, Watanabe, Naoki, Yatsuzuka, Shinichi, Nishizawa, Kazutoshi, Fuse, Takuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,534,816 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 2321/0022 with a rotating or otherwise moving magnet
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/20 Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves expansion valves F25B41/31
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

A thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus includes: a magnetic element having a Curie temperature distribution in a predetermined distribution direction; a magnetic-field supplier which supplies an external magnetic field to the magnetic element; a pump pumping heat transport medium to flow frontward and backward in the predetermined distribution direction, the heat transport medium transporting heat of the magnetic element; and a shift device which causes a position of a high temperature end and/or a low temperature end of the magnetic element to move.

Claims

1. A thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus comprising:

a magnetic element having a Curie temperature distribution in a predetermined distribution direction;

a magnetic-field supplier which supplies an external magnetic field to the magnetic element;

a pump pumping heat transport medium to have a both-way flow in the predetermined distribution direction, the heat transport medium transporting heat of the magnetic element; and

a shift device which causes a position of a high temperature end and/or a low temperature end of the magnetic element to move.

2. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the magnetic element is a magneto-caloric element generating heat when the external magnetic field is applied to and absorbing heat when the external magnetic field is removed from,

the magnetic-field supplier is a magnetic field switcher switching the external magnetic field between the applying and the removal,

the pump pumps heat transport medium to flow from the low temperature end toward the high temperature end when the external magnetic field is applied to the magneto-caloric element, and pumps heat transport medium to flow from the high temperature end toward the low temperature end when the external magnetic field is removed from the magneto-caloric element as the both-way flow, and

the shift device invalidates a predetermined part of the magneto-caloric element located on an end portion of the magneto-caloric element.

3. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the magneto-caloric element has a plurality of element units that is constructed by the predetermined part and remainders other than the predetermined part,

the plurality of element units are constructed to have high magneto-caloric effect when the low temperature end and/or the high temperature end has a first temperature, and

the remainders are constructed to have high magneto-caloric effect when the low temperature end and/or the high temperature end has a second temperature different from the first temperature.

4. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the plurality of element units 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 predetermined part of the magneto-caloric element is constructed by at least one of the plurality of element units located on the end portion of the magneto-caloric element.

5. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

The shift device has a passage controller that prohibits the heat transport medium from flowing through the predetermined part.

6. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the passage controller has a bypass passage bypassing the predetermined part to flow the heat transport medium, and a valve device that switches the heat transport medium to flow through the bypass passage or the predetermined part.

7. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the valve device is located in the bypass passage and/or a main passage through which the heat transport medium flows through the predetermined part.

8. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the magneto-caloric element has a plurality of element units that is constructed by the predetermined part and remainders other than the predetermined part,

a clearance is defined between the predetermined part and the remainders, the heat transport medium flowing through the clearance,

the clearance has a volume smaller than a volume corresponding to an amplitude of the both-way flow of the heat transport medium generated by the pump, and

the bypass passage is branched from the clearance.

9. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the bypass passage is branched directly from the remainders.

10. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a first check valve which switches the heat transport medium flowing through the predetermined part to have the both-way flow or a circulation flow; and

a second check valve which switches the heat transport medium flowing through the bypass passage to have the both-way flow or a circulation flow.

11. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the passage controller has a valve device which opens or closes a main passage through which the heat transport medium flows through the predetermined part.

12. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the passage controller further has a drive unit that drives the valve device based on an index relating with a temperature of the high temperature end and/or the low temperature end.

13. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the index is a temperature of outside air.

14. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the drive unit is a thermostat wax, a shape-memory alloy component, or a control system including a temperature sensor.

15. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a low-temperature heat exchanger that exchanges heat with a main heat source;

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

a high-temperature heat exchanger that exchanges heat with a thermal load; and

a high-temperature circulation passage passing through the high-temperature 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.

16. The thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus according to claim 15, 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 and 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.