Magnetic refrigeration system with unequal blows
First Claim
1. A magnetic refrigeration system, comprising:
- one or more beds of magnetocaloric material, each having a hot side and a cold side;
a magnet configured to apply a time-varying magnetic field to the one or more beds in a high state and a low state;
a heat transfer fluid;
a hot side heat exchanger (HHEX);
a cold side heat exchanger (CHEX);
a hot side valve and a cold side valve that are configured to control flow of the heat transfer fluid to the one or more beds of magnetocaloric material; and
a pump or a set of displacers configured to circulate the heat transfer fluid through the one or more beds, the HHEX, and the CHEX, wherein;
flow of the heat transfer fluid is controlled to be at an average flow rate of Φ
H for a duration Δ
tH from the cold side of the one or more beds to the hot side of the respective bed when the time-varying magnetic field applied to the respective bed is in the high state,the flow of the heat transfer fluid is controlled to be at an average flow rate of Φ
C for a duration Δ
tC from the hot side of the one or more beds to the cold side of the respective bed when the time-varying magnetic field applied to the respective bed is in the low state,
Δ
tC>
Δ
tH and Φ
C<
Φ
H and Δ
tHΦ
H=Δ
tCΦ
C, and
Δ
tH<
0.8×
Δ
tC and Φ
C<
0.8×
Φ
H.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A magnetic refrigeration apparatus includes beds of magnetocaloric material with a hot side and a cold side. The apparatus also includes a magnet to apply a magnetic field to the beds, a heat transfer fluid, a pump to circulate the heat transfer fluid, a hot side heat exchanger, a cold side heat exchanger, and a controller to control the flow of heat transfer fluid from the cold side to the hot side of the beds when the magnetic field on the beds is high at an average flow rate of ΦH for a duration ΔtH. The controller also controls the flow of heat transfer fluid from the hot side of the beds to the cold side of the beds when the magnetic field on the beds is low at an average flow rate of ΦC for a duration ΔtC, where ΔtC>ΔtH and ΦC<ΦH.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A magnetic refrigeration system, comprising:
-
one or more beds of magnetocaloric material, each having a hot side and a cold side; a magnet configured to apply a time-varying magnetic field to the one or more beds in a high state and a low state; a heat transfer fluid; a hot side heat exchanger (HHEX); a cold side heat exchanger (CHEX); a hot side valve and a cold side valve that are configured to control flow of the heat transfer fluid to the one or more beds of magnetocaloric material; and a pump or a set of displacers configured to circulate the heat transfer fluid through the one or more beds, the HHEX, and the CHEX, wherein; flow of the heat transfer fluid is controlled to be at an average flow rate of Φ
H for a duration Δ
tH from the cold side of the one or more beds to the hot side of the respective bed when the time-varying magnetic field applied to the respective bed is in the high state,the flow of the heat transfer fluid is controlled to be at an average flow rate of Φ
C for a duration Δ
tC from the hot side of the one or more beds to the cold side of the respective bed when the time-varying magnetic field applied to the respective bed is in the low state,
Δ
tC>
Δ
tH and Φ
C<
Φ
H and Δ
tHΦ
H=Δ
tCΦ
C, and
Δ
tH<
0.8×
Δ
tC and Φ
C<
0.8×
Φ
H. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A magnetic refrigeration apparatus, comprising:
-
three or more beds of magnetocaloric material, each having a hot side and a cold side; a magnet configured to apply a time-varying magnetic field to the three or more beds a heat transfer fluid; a hot side heat exchanger (HHEX); a cold side heat exchanger (CHEX); a pump or a set of displacers configured to circulate the heat transfer fluid through the three or more beds, the HHEX, and the CHEX; a cold side valve with a first radius from a center of the cold side valve and a second radius from the center of the cold side valve comprising; a first part with a first series of holes along the first radius and a second series of holes along the second radius, wherein the first series of holes each fluidly connect to a cold inlet conduit of each of the three or more beds, and wherein the second series of holes each connect to a cold outlet conduit of each of the three or more beds; and a second part with a first slot along the first radius fluidly connected to an outlet of the CHEX and a second slot along the second radius fluidly connected to an inlet of the CHEX; and a hot side valve with a third radius from a center of the hot side valve and a fourth radius from the center of the hot side valve comprising; a first part with a third series of holes along the third radius and a fourth series of holes along the fourth radius, wherein the third series of holes each fluidly connect to a hot inlet conduit of each of the three or more beds, and wherein the fourth series of holes each fluidly connect to a hot outlet conduit of each of the three or more beds; and a second part with a third slot along the third radius fluidly connected to an outlet of the HHEX and a fourth slot along the fourth radius fluidly connected to an inlet of the HHEX, wherein the first slot, the second slot, the third slot, and the fourth slot are configured to allow flow of heat transfer fluid at an average flow rate of Φ
H for a duration Δ
tH from the cold side of each of the three or more beds to the hot side of the respective beds when the magnetic field applied to the respective beds is in the high state, andwherein the first slot, the second slot, the third slot, and the fourth slot are further configured to allow flow of heat transfer fluid at an average flow rate of Φ
C for a duration Δ
tC from the hot side of each of the three or more beds to the cold side of the respective beds when the magnetic field applied to the respective beds is in the low state, and
wherein Δ
tC>
Δ
tH and Φ
C<
Φ
H and Δ
tHΦ
H=Δ
tCΦ
C. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A method comprising:
-
rotating a plurality of beds of magnetocaloric material into and out of a magnetic field of a magnet to create a time-varying magnetic field with a high state and a low state, wherein the time-varying magnetic field is applied to each of the plurality of beds, and rotating a valve to control flow of a heat transfer fluid at an average flow rate of Φ
H for a duration of Δ
tH from a cold side of each of the plurality of beds to a hot side of the respective bed when the time-varying magnetic field applied to the respective bed is in the high state,wherein rotating the valve also controls flow of the heat transfer fluid at an average flow rate of Φ
C for a duration Δ
tC from the hot side of each of the plurality of beds to the cold side of the respective bed when the time-varying magnetic field applied to the respective bed is in the low state,
wherein Δ
tC>
Δ
tH and Φ
C<
Φ
H and Δ
tHΦ
H=Δ
tCΦ
C, and
wherein Δ
tH<
0.8×
Δ
tC and Φ
C<
0.8×
Φ
H.
-
-
29. A method comprising:
-
rotating a magnetic field of a magnet about a plurality of beds of magnetocaloric material to create a time-varying magnetic field with respect to each of the plurality of beds with a high state and a low state, and rotating a valve to control flow of a heat transfer fluid at an average flow rate of Φ
H for a duration of Δ
tH from a cold side of each of the plurality of beds to a hot side of the respective bed when the time-varying magnetic field applied to the respective bed is in the high state,wherein rotating the valve also controls flow of the heat transfer fluid at an average flow rate of Φ
C for a duration Δ
tC from the hot side of each of the plurality of beds to the cold side of the respective bed when the time-varying magnetic field applied to the respective bed is in the low state, and
wherein Δ
tC>
Δ
tH and Φ
C<
Φ
H and Δ
tHΦ
H=Δ
tCΦ
C, and
wherein Δ
tH<
0.8×
Δ
tC and Φ
C<
0.8×
Φ
H.
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Specification