MAGNETIC REFRIGERATION CONTROL SYSTEM, AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130186107A1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: SHIH, Cheng-Yen, Wu, Tiao-Yuan, Chen, Chi-Che
• Application Number:
  US13/355,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20130186107A1
• 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: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

A magnetic refrigeration control system, includes: a first magnetocaloric bed; a pipe, arranged through the first magnetocaloric bed; a coolant, flowing in the pipe; a pump, driving the coolant with a pumping speed; a valve, adjusting a flow period of the flowing coolant; a magnetic module, providing an increasing magnetic field to the first magnetocaloric bed during a magnetization period and providing a decreasing magnetic field to the first magnetocaloric bed during a demagnetization period; and a sensor, detecting a fluid pressure of the coolant flowing in the pipe, the temperature of a refrigerator, and a flowing rate of the coolant flowing in the pipe; and a controller, adjusting the pumping speed, the flow period, the magnetization period, and the demagnetization period according to the temperature, the fluid pressure, and the flowing rate in real time. A magnetic refrigeration control method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A magnetic refrigeration control system for cooling an outer heat exchanger, comprising:

a first magnetocaloric bed;

a pipe arranged through the first magnetocaloric bed;

a coolant flowing in the pipe;

a pump, driving the coolant with a pumping speed;

a valve, adjusting a flow period of the coolant flowing in the pipe;

a magnetic module, providing an increasing magnetic field to the first magnetocaloric bed during a magnetization period, and providing a decreasing magnetic field to the first magnetocaloric bed during a demagnetization period;

a sensor, detecting a fluid pressure of the coolant flowing in the pipe, the temperature of the outer heat exchanger, and a flowing rate of the coolant flowing in the pipe; and

a controller, adjusting the flow period, the pumping speed, the magnetization period, and the demagnetization period according to the temperature, the fluid pressure, and the flowing rate in real time.

2. The magnetic refrigeration control system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic module has a magnet and a driving means controlled by the controller, wherein the driving means shifts the magnet towards the first magnetocaloric bed for providing the increasing magnetic field to the first magnetocaloric bed, and the driving means shifts the magnet away from the first magnetocaloric bed for providing the decreasing magnetic field to the first magnetocaloric bed.

3. The magnetic refrigeration control system of claim 2, further comprising a second magnetocaloric bed, wherein the controller provides a power to the driving means, the driving means shifts the magnet to a position according to the power, and the distance between the first magnetocaloric bed and the position is larger than the distance between the second magnetocaloric bed and the position, and the controller cuts off or reduces the power providing to the driving means when the magnet reaches to the position.

4. The magnetic refrigeration control system of claim 3, wherein the first magnetocaloric bed and the second magnetocaloric bed contain magnetocaloric materials, the magnetocaloric materials are heated up when the increasing magnetic field is provided, and the magnetocaloric materials are cooled down when the decreasing magnetic field is provided.

5. The magnetic refrigeration control system of claim 2, wherein a driving means operation frequency of the driving means is determined by the controller according to the temperature, the fluid pressure, and the flowing rate.

6. A magnetic refrigeration control method for cooling an outer heat exchanger, comprising steps of:

providing a magnetic refrigeration control system comprising a first magnetocaloric bed, a pipe arranged through the first magnetocaloric bed, and a coolant flowing in the pipe;

driving the coolant with a pumping speed;

adjusting a flow period of the coolant flowing in the pipe;

providing an increasing magnetic field to the first magnetocaloric bed during a magnetization period, and

providing a decreasing magnetic field to the first magnetocaloric bed during a demagnetization period;

detecting a fluid pressure of the coolant flowing in the pipe, the temperature of the outer heat exchanger, and a flowing rate of the coolant flowing in the pipe; and

adjusting the pumping speed, the flow period, the magnetization period, and the demagnetization period according to the temperature, the fluid pressure, and the flowing rate in real time,

wherein the temperature of the outer heat exchanger is determined by the pumping speed, the flow period, the magnetization period and the demagnetization period.

7. The magnetic refrigeration control method of claim 6, further comprising:

shifting a magnet towards the first magnetocaloric bed for providing the increasing magnetic field; and

shifting the magnet away from the first magnetocaloric bed for providing the decreasing magnetic field.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

shifting the magnet to a position by providing a power to a driving means, wherein the distance between the position and the first magnetocaloric bed is larger than the distance between the position and a second magnetocaloric bed; and

cutting off or reducing the power providing to the driving means when the magnet reaches to the position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a driving means operation frequency of the driving means is determined according to the temperature, the fluid pressure, and the flowing rate.