Continuously rotary magnetic refrigerator or heat pump

Abstract

The invention concerns a rotary magnetic refrigerator/heat pump able to operate in a continuously working process, able to be applied in industrial thermal processes and having a high efficiency and a low cost manufacturing. The rotary magnetic refrigerator (10) comprises a magnet (11), a magnetocaloric ring (12) and a fluid conducting subassembly (13). The fluid conducting subassembly (13) comprises a horizontally positioned rotating disc (14), frame-suspended with bearings (15 and 16) in stationary ducts above (17) and below (18), which serve to supply and evacuate a working fluid (19, 20, 21, 22). The rotating disc (14) has two circular arrays of hollow sectors (23 and 24), one close to each of its planar faces. Every hollow sector (23 and 24) comprises a slot (25 and 26) to the adjacent planar surface and to the circumferential surface of the rotating disc (14). The working fluid is introduced axially into the lower hollow sectors through the openings on the lower planar surface, in order to flow out in radial direction through the circumferential openings of the lower array of hollow sectors and back into the disc through the circumferential openings of the upper array of hollow sectors, from where it finally exits the disc axially through the openings of each hollow sector on the upper planar surface.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . A rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) comprising:
 at least one magnetic device ( 11 ) for generating a predetermined magnetic field;   a partially hollow rotating magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ) that rotates through the predetermined magnetic field, and   a working fluid conducting subassembly ( 13 ) which directs the working fluid into and out of the partially hollow rotating magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ), the working fluid conducting subassembly ( 13 ) comprising a central rotating disc ( 14 ) for allowing the working fluid to flow into and out of the subassembly ( 13 ) in a direction parallel to a rotational axis ( 30 ) of the rotating disc ( 14 ), the rotating disc ( 14 ) supporting the rotating magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ) in defining a small gap between the magnetic device ( 11 ) and the rotating magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ), the central rotating disc ( 14 ) comprises at least two circular arrays of hollow sectors ( 23 ,  24 ) and means for communicating with the circular arrays of hollow sectors ( 23 ,  24 )   
   
   
       15 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the circular arrays of hollow sectors ( 23 ,  24 ) of the central rotating disc ( 14 ) comprises respectively one opening ( 25 ;  26 ) to axially enable the flow of the working fluid into and allow out from the working fluid conducting subassembly ( 13 ) such that the working fluid flows out in a radial direction into the rotating disc ( 14 ) through circumferential openings of the arrays of hollow sectors ( 23 ,  24 ). 
   
   
       16 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 14 , wherein the small gap between the magnetic device ( 11 ) and the partially hollow rotating magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ) is smaller than 0.5 mm. 
   
   
       17 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 14 , wherein the rotating disc ( 14 ) is horizontally positioned and frame-suspended by bearings ( 15  and  16 ) in an upper stationary duct ( 17 ) and a lower stationary duct ( 18 ). 
   
   
       18 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 14 , wherein the magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ) comprises at least one fluid flow separator. 
   
   
       19 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 14 , wherein the rotating disc ( 14 ) comprises at least one fluid flow separator which provides flow of at least one fluid in and out of the rotating magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ) which is attached to the rotating disc ( 14 ). 
   
   
       20 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 17 , wherein the upper stationary duct ( 17 ) and a lower stationary duct ( 18 ) are attached to a casing containing the rotating magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ) and the rotating disc ( 14 ). 
   
   
       21 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 20 , wherein the upper stationary duct ( 17 ) and a lower stationary duct ( 18 ) comprise at least one fluid flow separator. 
   
   
       22 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 14 , wherein the magnetocaloric ring ( 12 ) is made of at least one magnetocaloric material. 
   
   
       23 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 22 , wherein the magnetocaloric ring ( 12 ) is layered with different magnetocaloric materials in a direction of a temperature gradient. 
   
   
       24 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 23 , wherein the magnetocaloric material is a packed bed of one of grain, a porous structure and a periodic structure. 
   
   
       25 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 14 , further comprising at least one additional partially hollow rotating magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ) and at least one additional magnetic device ( 11 ) for generating a predetermined magnetic field and providing a cascade system having several stages, each of the several stages one of comprises a different magnetocaloric material and is layered in a direction of a temperature gradient. 
   
   
       26 . The rotary magnetic refrigerator and heat pump ( 10 ) according to  claim 14 , wherein a highly magnetic permeable fluid is inserted between the magnetocaloric ring member ( 12 ) and a housing to decrease an effect of the gap.