CALORIC HEAT PUMP SYSTEM

• US 20180023852A1
• Filed: 07/19/2016
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Schroeder, Michael Goodman, Beers, David G., Schork, Brian Michael, Benedict, Michael Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 10,274,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 1/0413 Cams
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 1/053 with actuating or actuated elements at the inner ends of the cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/042 the means being cams
• 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: F25D 11/02 with cooling compartments at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/025 using primary and secondary refrigeration systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

A caloric heat pump system includes a pump is operable to circulate a working fluid through a stage. The pump includes a motor. A cam is coupled to the motor such that the cam is rotatable by the motor. The cam has a non-circular outer profile surface. Each piston of a pair of pistons has a cam follower positioned on the non-circular outer profile surface of the cam.

Claims

1. A caloric heat pump system, comprising:

a regenerator housing defining a chamber;

a stage comprising a caloric material disposed within the chamber;

a pump operable to circulate a working fluid through the stage, the pump comprising

a motor;

a cam coupled to the motor such that the cam is rotatable by the motor, the cam having a non-circular outer profile surface; and

a pair of pistons positioned opposite each other about the cam, each piston of the pair of pistons having a cam follower positioned on the non-circular outer profile surface of the cam.

2. The caloric heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the pair of pistons are positioned orthogonal to each other.

3. The caloric heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the cam followers of the pair of pistons are positioned on the non-circular outer profile surface of the cam such that one of the pair of pistons is at a top dead center position when the other of the pair of pistons is at a bottom dead center position and the one of the pair of pistons is at the bottom dead center position when the other of the pair of pistons is at the top dead center position.

4. The caloric heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the cam followers of the pair of pistons are positioned on the non-circular outer profile surface of the cam such that the pistons of the pair of pistons have a phase difference of one hundred and eighty degrees during operation of the pump.

5. The caloric heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional pair of pistons positioned opposite each other about the cam and each having a cam follower positioned on the non-circular outer profile surface of the cam.

6. The caloric heat pump system of claim 5, wherein the stage is a plurality of stages and the pump has one piston for each stage of the plurality of stages.

7. The caloric heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the non-circular outer profile surface of the cam is elliptical.

8. The caloric heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of conduits extending between the pump and the regenerator housing, the stage being in fluid communication with the pump via the plurality of conduits such that the plurality of conduits provide flow paths for the working fluid between the stage and the pump.

9. The caloric heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the caloric material is a magneto-caloric material and the field generator is a magnet.

10. The caloric heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first heat exchanger; and

a second heat exchanger separate from the first heat exchanger,

wherein the pump is operable to circulate the heat transfer fluid between the first and second heat exchangers and the stage.

11. A caloric heat pump system, comprising:

a regenerator housing comprising a plurality of chambers;

a plurality of stages, each of the plurality of stages comprising a magneto-caloric material disposed within one of the plurality of chambers;

a magnet positioned proximate the regenerator housing; and

a pump operable to circulate a working fluid through the plurality of stages, the pump comprising

a motor;

a cam coupled to the motor such that the cam is rotatable by the motor, the cam having a non-circular outer surface;

a first pair of pistons offset from each other on the cam, each piston of the first pair of pistons having a cam follower positioned on the non-circular outer surface of the cam;

a second pair of pistons offset from each other on the cam, each piston of the second pair of pistons having a cam follower positioned on the non-circular outer surface of the cam,

wherein one of the regenerator housing or the magnet is movable relative to the other of the regenerator housing or the magnet assembly, and wherein in a first position the regenerator housing is positioned such that a first stage of the plurality of stages is within a magnetic field of the magnet and a second stage of the plurality of stages is out of the magnetic field of the magnet, and wherein in a second position the regenerator housing is positioned such that the first stage of the plurality of stages is out of the magnetic field of the magnet and the second stage of the plurality of stages is within the magnetic field of the magnet.

12. The caloric heat pump system of claim 11, wherein the first pair of pistons is positioned orthogonal to the second pair of pistons.

13. The caloric heat pump system of claim 11, wherein the cam followers of the first pair of pistons are positioned on the non-circular outer surface of the cam such that one of the first pair of pistons is at a top dead center position when the other of the first pair of pistons is at a bottom dead center position and the one of the first pair of pistons is at the bottom dead center position when the other of the first pair of pistons is at the top dead center position.

14. The caloric heat pump system of claim 11, wherein the cam followers of the first pair of pistons are positioned on the non-circular outer surface of the cam such that the pistons of the first pair of pistons have a phase difference of one hundred and eighty degrees during operation of the pump.

15. The caloric heat pump system of claim 11, further comprising at least one additional pair of pistons offset from each other on the cam and each having a cam follower positioned on the non-circular outer surface of the cam.

16. The caloric heat pump system of claim 15, wherein the pump has one piston for each stage of the plurality of stages.

17. The caloric heat pump system of claim 11, wherein the non-circular outer surface of the cam is elliptical.

18. The caloric heat pump system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of conduits extending between the pump and the regenerator housing, the plurality of stages being in fluid communication with the pump via the plurality of conduits such that the plurality of conduits provide flow paths for the working fluid between the plurality of stages and the pump.

19. The caloric heat pump system of claim 11, further comprising:

a first heat exchanger; and

a second heat exchanger separate from the first heat exchanger,

wherein the pump is operable to circulate the heat transfer fluid between the first and second heat exchangers and the plurality of stages.