Heat transporting apparatus

Abstract

In a heat transporting apparatus, a cylinder is filled with a refrigerant and pistons are arranged in the cylinder, which compress and expand the refrigerant in the cylinder. A magnet unit is movably provided around the cylinder to apply a magnetic field to the cylinder, which is alternately increased and decreased in accordance with a movement of the magnet unit. A thermal accumulator is received in the cylinder, which produces heat depending on one of the increasing and decreasing of the magnetic field at the compression of the refrigerant, and absorbs heat depending on the other of the increasing and decreasing of the magnetic field at the expansion of the refrigerant. Heat exchangers are located in the cylinder, which radiates the heat from the refrigerant and thermal accumulator to an exterior of the apparatus, and absorbs external heat and transfers the heat to the refrigerant and thermal accumulator.

1 . A heat transporting apparatus, comprising: 
 a container filled with a refrigerant;    an operation unit which compresses the refrigerant to produce heat and expands the refrigerant to absorb heat in the container, alternately;    a generating unit configured to generate a magnetic field which is increased and decreased, alternately;    a thermal accumulator received in the container, to which the magnetic field is applied from the generating unit, and which produces heat depending on one of the increasing and decreasing of the magnetic field at the time of compression of the refrigerant and absorbs heat depending on the other of the increasing and decreasing of the magnetic field at the time of expansion of the refrigerant; and    first and second heat transfer units, the first heat transfer unit transferring the heat produced in the refrigerant and the thermal accumulator to the outside of the apparatus, and the second heat transfer unit transferring external heat to the refrigerant and the magnetic unit.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes a positive magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes a negative magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes first and second magnetic segments arranged in series with a gap in the container, the first magnetic segment includes a positive magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field, and the second magnetic segment includes a negative magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the generating unit includes a magnet for generating the magnetic field and a mechanism configured to move the magnet along the container to apply the magnetic field to the magnetic unit and remove the magnetic field from the magnetic unit, alternately, in accordance with the compression and expansion of the refrigerant.  
   
   
       6 . A heat transporting apparatus comprising: 
 a cylindrical container provided with compression and expansion chambers communicating with each other and filled with a refrigerant;    a compression piston received in the cylindrical container, which compresses the refrigerant in the expansion chamber and an expansion piston which expands the refrigerant in the expansion chamber;    a generating unit configured to generate a magnetic field which is increased and decreased, alternately;    a thermal accumulator received in the cylindrical container, to which the magnetic field is applied, and which produces heat depending on one of the increasing and decreasing of the magnetic field at the time of compression of the refrigerant and absorbs heat depending on the other of the increasing and decreasing of the magnetic field at the time of expansion of the refrigerant; and    first and second heat transfer units, the first heat transfer unit transferring the heat produced in the refrigerant and the magnetic unit to the outside of the apparatus, and the second heat transfer unit transferring external heat to the refrigerant and the magnetic unit.    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes a positive magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes a negative magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes first and second magnetic segments arranged in series with a gap in the container, the first magnetic segment includes a positive magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field, and the second magnetic segment includes a negative magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the generating unit includes a magnet for generating the magnetic field and a mechanism configured to move the magnet along the container to apply the magnetic field to the thermal accumulator and remove the magnetic field from the thermal accumulator, alternately, in accordance with the compression and expansion of the refrigerant.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the generating unit includes an electric magnet which is alternatively energized and de-energized to increase and decrease the magnetic field.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the generating unit includes a Halbach magnet.  
   
   
       13 . A heat transporting apparatus comprising: 
 a cylindrical container filled with a refrigerant;    pistons received in the cylindrical container, which compress and expand the refrigerant;    a generating unit configured to generate a magnetic field which is increased and decreased, alternately;    a thermal accumulator received in the cylindrical container, to which the magnetic field is applied, and which produces heat depending on one of the increasing and decreasing of the magnetic field at the time of compression of the refrigerant and absorbs heat depending on the other of the increasing and decreasing of the magnetic field at the time of expansion of the refrigerant; and    first and second heat transfer units, the first heat transfer unit transferring the heat produced in the refrigerant and the thermal accumulator to the outside of the apparatus, and the second heat transfer unit transferring external heat to the refrigerant and the thermal accumulator.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes a positive magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes a negative magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes first and second magnetic segments arranged in series with a gap in the container, the first magnetic segment includes a positive magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field, and the second magnetic segment includes a negative magnetic material which produces the heat depending on the decreasing of the magnetic field and which absorbs the heat depending on the increasing of the magnetic field.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the generating unit includes a magnet for generating the magnetic field and a mechanism configured to move the magnet along the container to apply the magnetic field to the magnetic unit and remove the magnetic field from the magnetic unit, alternately, in accordance with the compression and expansion of the refrigerant.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the generating unit includes an electric magnet which is alternatively energized and de-energized to increase and decrease the magnetic field.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the generating unit includes a Halbach magnet.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal accumulator includes a magnetic material magnetic unit is made of a porous member or a bulk having communication holes.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal accumulator comprises a magnetic material formed of different components such that operating temperature sequentially decreases from a higher temperature side toward a lower temperature side in the container.  
   
   
       22 . A refrigerator provided with the heat transporting apparatus according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       23 . A heat pump provided with the heat transporting apparatus according to  claim 1.