Method and device for continuous generation of cold and heat by means of the magneto-calorific effect

• US 7,481,064 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Haute Ecole D'Ingénierie et de Gestion Du Canton de VAUD
• Original Assignee: Haute Ecole D'Ingénierie et de Gestion Du Canton de VAUD
• Inventors: Sari, Osmann, Egolf, Peter Williams, Kitanovski, Andrej
• Primary Examiner(s): DOERRLER, WILLIAM CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US10/540,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20070144181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 62/31
• 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 2321/002 by using magneto-caloric effects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

The device (10) for continuous generation of cold and heat by the magneto-calorific effect, comprises a chamber (11), divided into two adjacent compartments (12, 13), separated by a wall (14). The chamber (11) contains a rotating element (15) made from at least one magneto-calorific material, a first circuit (17a) with a first heat exchange fluid circulating therein and a second circuit (17b) with a second heat exchange fluid circulating therein. The chamber (11) is connected to magnetic device (16) for generating a magnetic field in the region of the compartment (12) in which the rotating element (15) is located. When the above is set in rotation the part thereof located in the first compartment (12) is magnetized upon undergoing an increase in temperature. On passing into the second compartment (13), the part is demagnetized upon undergoing a cooling. The heat and the cold thus generated are transmitted by the heat exchange fluids respectively to user circuits for heat (19) and cold (22) for recovery and use for ulterior purposes.

Claims

1. A device for generating cold and heat by a magneto-calorific effect, wherein the device comprises:

an enclosure (11) divided into first and second compartments (12, 13) that are juxtaposed and separated from one another by a partition (14), the enclosure (11) comprises a cylindrical portion closely accommodating a rotating element (15) which comprises cylindrical shaped wheel that is arranged transversely in relation to the first and second compartments (12, 13) and rotating on an axle located in a plane of the partition (14) so that the rotating element (15) is simultaneously located partially inside the first and second compartments (12, 13), the rotating element is coaxial with the cylindrical portion of the enclosure (11) so that the fluid flows axially through the cylindrical rotating element (15);

a first hot circuit (17a) connected to the first compartment (12) of the enclosure (11) and comprising a first heat exchanger (18) through which a first heat-transmitting fluid circulates, and the first exchanger being connected to a heat utility circuit (19);

a second cold circuit (17b) connected to the second compartment (13) of the enclosure (11) and comprising a second heat exchanger (21) through which a second heat-transmitting fluid circulates, and the second exchanger being connected to a cold utility circuit (22); and

magnetic elements (16) for generating a magnetic field in the first compartment (12), at least in the area corresponding to the rotating element (15), the rotating element (15) comprising at least one magneto-calorific material which undergoes a temperature increase when the rotating element (15) passes through the first compartment (12) subjected to the magnetic field and cools down when the rotating element (15) passes through the second compartment (13) that is not subjected to the magnetic field.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic elements (16) comprise permanent magnets.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic elements (16) comprise electromagnets.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic elements (16) generate a variable magnetic field.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device comprises complementary magnetic elements (16a) to create an insulating magnetic field insulating the second compartment (13) from the magnetic field generated by the magnetic elements (16).

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic elements (16) are movable so the magnetic elements (16) can be located either in a first position (P1) where the magnetic elements (16) generate a magnetic field in one of the first and second compartments (12, 13) or in a second position (P2) where the magnetic elements (16) generate a magnetic field in the other of the first and second compartments (12, 13).

7. The device according to claim 3 wherein the magnetic elements (16) comprise first electromagnets for creating a magnetic field in the first compartment (12), second electromagnets for creating a magnetic field in the second compartment (13) and control means for respectively actuating the first or the second electromagnets.

8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second heat exchangers (18, 21) are selected from the group consisting of liquid to liquid, liquid to gas, and gas to gas heat exchangers.

9. The device according to claim 1 wherein the first hot circuit (17a) comprises a first pump (19), the second cold circuit (17b) comprises a second pump (22) and the first and second pumps make the first and the second heat-transmitting fluids circulate respectively through each of the first and second compartments (12, 13).

10. The device according to claim 1 wherein the rotating element (15) comprises a system of traversing passageways (25), and the traversing passageways (25) allows the first and second heat-transmitting fluids to circulate inside the rotating element.

11. The device according to claim 10 wherein the rotating element (15) comprises a unit of stacked discs (30) made of different magneto-calorific materials, each disc comprising a system of traversing passageways (25) communicating with the traversing passageways (25) in the adjacent disc or discs.

12. The device according to claim 10 wherein the rotating element (15) comprises a system of hollow overlapping cylindrical elements (40) made of different magneto-calorific materials, each cylindrical element (40) comprising a system of traversing passageways (25).

13. The device according to claim 10 wherein the rotating element (15) comprises a system of nested angular sectors (50) made of different magneto-calorific materials, and the angular sectors (50) being insulated from one another by thermally insulating elements (26), and each angular sector comprising a system of traversing passageways (25).

14. The device according to claim 10 wherein the rotating element (15) comprises a single cylindrical element made of magneto-calorific material, the cylindrical element comprising a system of traversing passageways (25) opening onto two surfaces.

15. The device according to claim 10 wherein the rotating element (15) comprises walled angular sectors (60) containing generally spherical grains (27) consisting of at least one magneto-calorific material, and the traversing passageways (25) are defined by interstices formed between the grains (27).

16. The device according to claim 10 wherein the traversing passageways (25) are formed of an alveolar structure.

17. The device according to claim 10 wherein the traversing passageways (25) are formed as hollow tubes disposed along the axle of the rotating element (15).

18. The device according to claim 10 wherein the traversing passageways (25) are formed as a porous structure.

19. A device for generating cold and heat by a magneto-calorific effect, wherein the device comprises:

an enclosure (11) divided into first and second compartments (12, 13) that are juxtaposed and separated from one another by a partition (14), the enclosure (11) comprises a central cylindrical portion closely accommodating a rotating element (15) which comprises cylindrical shaped wheel that is arranged transversely in relation to the first and second compartments (12, 13) and rotating on an axle located in a plane of the partition (14)so that the rotating element (15) is simultaneously located partially inside the first and second compartments (12, 13), and the rotating element is coaxial with the central cylindrical portion of the enclosure (11) so that the fluid flows axially through the cylindrical rotating element (15);

a first hot circuit (17a) connected to the first compartment (12) of the enclosure (11) and comprising a first heat exchanger (18) through which a first heat-transmitting fluid circulates, and the first exchanger being connected to a heat utility circuit (19);

a second cold circuit (17b) connected to the second compartment (13) of the enclosure (11) and comprising a second heat exchanger (21) through which a second heat-transmitting fluid circulates, and the second exchanger being connected to a cold utility circuit (22); and

magnetic elements (16) for generating a magnetic field in the first compartment (12), at least in the area corresponding to the rotating element (15), the rotating element (15) comprising at least one magneto-calorific material which undergoes a temperature increase when the rotating element (15) passes through the first compartment (12) subjected to the magnetic field and cools down when the rotating element (15) passes through the second compartment (13) that is not subjected to the magnetic field, and the magnetic elements (16) comprise permanent magnets which are fixed in a position and extend only along a half periphery of the central cylindrical portion of the enclosure (11).

20. A device for generating cold and heat by a magneto-calorific effect, the device comprising:

an enclosure (11) being divided into first and second compartments (12, 13) that are juxtaposed and separated from one another by a partition (14), the enclosure (11) closely accommodating a cylindrical rotating element (15) arranged transversely in relation to the first and the second compartments (12, 13), the cylindrical rotating element (15) having a plurality of axially arranged traverse passageways (25) therein such that fluid passing through the first and the second compartments (12, 13) passes axially through the cylindrical rotating element (15) via the traverse passageways (25), the cylindrical rotating element (15) rotating on an axle which is coincident with a plane defined by the partition (14) so that the cylindrical rotating element (15) is simultaneously located partially inside the first and the second compartments (12, 13), and the rotating element is coaxial with at least a portion of the enclosure (11);

a first hot circuit (17a) connected to the first compartment (12) of the enclosure (11) and comprising a first heat exchanger (18) through which a first heat-transmitting fluid circulates, and the first exchanger being connected to a heat utility circuit (19);

a second cold circuit (17b) connected to the second compartment (13) of the enclosure (11) and comprising a second heat exchanger (21) through which a second heat-transmitting fluid circulates, and the second exchanger being connected to a cold utility circuit (22);

magnetic elements (16) for generating a magnetic field in the first compartment (12), at least in the area corresponding to the cylindrical rotating element (15);

the cylindrical rotating element (15) comprising at least one magneto-calorific material which undergoes a temperature increase when the cylindrical rotating element (15) passes through the first compartment (12) subjected to the magnetic field and cools down when the cylindrical rotating element (15) passes through the second compartment (13) that is not subjected to the magnetic field; and

the magnetic elements (16) comprise permanent magnets which are fixed in a position only adjacent a periphery of the cylindrical rotating element (15) of only one of the first and the second compartments (12, 13).