초록 ▼

A magnetic refrigeration system uses high-temperature side thermal diode modules with magnetocaloric material placed inside of hermetically sealed module containers. The material in the form of a porous matrix. The material comes into direct thermal contact with or is submerged in a hest transfer fl

A magnetic refrigeration system uses high-temperature side thermal diode modules with magnetocaloric material placed inside of hermetically sealed module containers. The material in the form of a porous matrix. The material comes into direct thermal contact with or is submerged in a hest transfer fluid, and a radical increase in heat transfer is obtained due to large surface area and pores in the material, which serve as nucleation sites and develop thin meniscus evaporating layers. These modules also contain special condensing surfaces and a means for return of condensed fluid to the evaporator. Various combinations with low-temperature side modules are also disclosed. A refrigeration system using the modules includes a rotatable disk on which a plurality of modules disposed radially on the disk are carried, and the disk is rotated in proximity to a magnetic field generator so that the material in the modules is intermittently magnetized and thereby heated. Sets of modules may be arranged to provide staging, thus producing refrigeration over a wide temperature range and enabling use of newer, high-performance materials which are glassy and difficult or impossible to fabricate into conventional heat-exchanger component shapes.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A thermal diode module for a magnetic refrigerator comprising:a sealed container having an evaporator end and a condenser end; a heat-transfer fluid disposed in said container; an array of magnetocaloric material subject to a reversible increase in temperature upon being exposed to a magnetic fie

1. A thermal diode module for a magnetic refrigerator comprising:a sealed container having an evaporator end and a condenser end; a heat-transfer fluid disposed in said container; an array of magnetocaloric material subject to a reversible increase in temperature upon being exposed to a magnetic field, said array located within said container at said evaporator end and said material being in the form of a porous matrix whereby said material may come into direct thermal contact with said heat-transfer fluid during a high-temperature portion of an operating cycle; a condensing surface located at said condenser end; and means for returning condensed fluid to said evaporator end.