MAGNETOCALORIC HEAT GENERATOR

• US 20140290275A1
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnoric
• Original Assignee: Cooltech Applications S.A.S.
• Inventors: Muller, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,791,182 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: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

A magnetocaloric heat generator having an assembly of at least two magnetocaloric modules with a heat transfer fluid flowing through them. The cold ends of the modules are in fluidic communication via a cold transfer circuit and the hot ends are in fluidic communication via a hot transfer circuit. The cold transfer circuit is arranged so that the fluid exiting the cold end of one of the magnetocaloric modules with an exit temperature enters the cold end of the other magnetocaloric module with an entry temperature that is substantially equal to the temperature of the cold end. The hot transfer circuit modifies the temperature of the fluid so that the fluid exiting the hot end of one of the magnetocaloric modules with an exit temperature enters the hot end of the other magnetocaloric module with an entry temperature that is substantially equal to the temperature of the hot end.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A magnetocaloric heat generator (1, 10, 100, 1′

, 1″

) comprising at least one assembly of at least two magnetocaloric modules (2, 3, 4, 5, 2′

, 3′

) with a heat transfer fluid circulated by circulating means (212, 312, 412, 512, 422, 212′

, 312′

) flowing through them, each of the magnetocaloric module (2, 3, 4, 5, 2′

, 3′

) comprises at least two magnetocaloric stages (210, 211, 310, 311, 410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431, 510, 511, 520, 521, 530, 531, 610, 610′

, 611, 611′

, 710, 710′

, 711, 711′

) of magnetocaloric material(s), the at least two stages being constantly in a different magnetic phase, in that the heat transfer fluid circulating means (212, 312, 412, 512, 422) are in fluidic communication with the magnetocaloric stages of at least one magnetocaloric module, in that the magnetocaloric stages (210, 211, 310, 311, 410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431, 510, 511, 520, 521, 530, 531, 610, 610′

, 611, 611′

, 710, 710′

, 711, 711′

) are made of the magnetocaloric materials arranged so that a magnetocaloric effect is substantially the same in all of the magnetocaloric stages, in that cold ends (F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7) of the magnetocaloric modules (2, 3, 4, 5, 2′

, 3′

) are in fluidic communication by means of a cold transfer circuit (6) used by the heat transfer fluid and intended for a heat exchange with an external circuit by means of a heat exchanger (61), in that hot ends (C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7) of the magnetocaloric modules (2, 3, 4, 5, 2′

, 3′

) are in fluidic communication by means of a hot transfer circuit (7) used by the heat transfer fluid and intended for a heat exchange with an external circuit by means of another heat exchanger (71), and in that the heat exchangers (61, 71) are arranged so that the difference of inlet and outlet temperatures of the heat transfer fluid in the heat exchangers (61, 71) is substantially equal to a variation of temperature of the heat transfer fluid in contact with the magnetocaloric stage (210, 211, 310, 311, 410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431 510, 511, 520, 521, 530, 531, 610, 610′

, 611, 611′

, 710, 710′

, 711, 711′

) subjected to the magnetocaloric effect.

18. The generator (1, 10) according to claim 12, wherein the circulating means (212, 312, 412, 512) are realized in the form of single-acting pistons and in that the chamber (213, 313, 413, 513) of every piston is in fluidic communication with the magnetocaloric stages (201, 211310, 311, 410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431;

510, 511, 520, 521, 530, 531) of the magnetocaloric module (2, 3, 4, 5).

19. The generator (100) according to claim 12, wherein the circulating means (422) are realized in the form of a double-acting piston and in that each chamber (423, 523) of the piston (422) is in fluidic communication with the stages (410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431;

510, 511520, 521, 530, 531) of the magnetocaloric module (4, 5).

20. The generator according to claim 12, wherein it comprises a magnetic system arranged to subject the magnetocaloric stages (210, 211, 310, 311, 410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431, 510, 511, 520, 521530, 531, 610, 610, 611, 611′

, 710, 710′

, 711, 711′

) to a variable magnetic field so that the magnetocaloric stages (211, 311, 411, 421, 431, 511, 521, 531) located at the cold end (F2, F3, F4, F5) and the magnetocaloric stages (410, 420, 430, 510, 520, 530) located at the hot end (C2, C3, C4, C5) are constantly in a either different heating or cooling phase.

21. The generator according claim 12, wherein the magnetocaloric stages are mounted in disk-shaped supports (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D7′

, D8′

), each of the supports including at least one magnetocaloric stage (210, 211, 310, 311, 410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431, 510, 511, 520, 521, 530, 531, 610, 610′

, 611, 611′

, 710, 710′

, 711, 711′

) of each of the magnetocaloric modules (2, 3, 4, 5, 2′

, 3′

).

22. The generator according to claim 12, wherein the circulating means are connected between consecutive ends of the magnetocaloric stages that are not located near cold and hot sides of the magnetocaloric modules.

23. A magnetocaloric heat generator (1, 10, 100, 1′

, 1″

) comprising at least one assembly of at least two magnetocaloric modules (2, 3, 4, 5, 2′

, 3′

) with a heat transfer fluid flowing therethrough which is circulated by circulating means (212, 312, 412, 512, 422, 212′

, 312′

), each of the magnetocaloric modules (2, 3, 4, 5, 2′

, 3′

) comprises at least two magnetocaloric stages (210, 211, 310, 311, 410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431, 510, 511, 520, 521, 530, 531, 610, 610′

, 611, 611′

, 710, 710′

, 711, 711′

) of magnetocaloric material, the at least two magnetocaloric stages being constantly in a different magnetic phase, the heat transfer fluid circulating means (212, 312, 412, 512, 422) are in fluidic communication with the at least two magnetocaloric stages of at least one of the magnetocaloric module, the at least two magnetocaloric stages (210, 211, 310, 311, 410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431, 510, 511, 520, 521, 530, 531, 610, 610′

, 611, 611′

, 710, 710′

, 711, 711′

) are made of magnetocaloric materials arranged so that magnetocaloric effect is substantially the same in all of the at least two magnetocaloric stages, cold ends (F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7) of the magnetocaloric modules (2, 3, 4, 5, 2′

, 3′

) are in fluidic communication by means of a cold transfer circuit (6) having a heat exchanger (61) through which the heat transfer fluid flows and exchanges heat with an external circuit, hot ends (C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7) of the magnetocaloric modules (2, 3, 4, 5, 2′

, 3′

) are in fluidic communication by means of a hot transfer circuit (7) having a heat exchanger (71) through which the heat transfer fluid flows and exchanges heat with an external circuit, and the heat exchangers (61, 71) of the cold and the hot transfer circuits are arranged so that differences of inlet and outlet temperatures of the heat transfer fluid in the heat exchangers (61, 71) of the cold and the hot transfer circuits is substantially equal to a variation of temperature of the heat transfer fluid in contact with the magnetocaloric stages (210, 211, 310, 311, 410, 411, 420, 421, 430, 431, 510, 511, 520, 521, 530, 531, 610, 610′

, 611, 611′

, 710, 710′

, 711, 711′

) subjected to the magnetocaloric effect.