Magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534814-B2
Application number	US-201213450622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2012
Priority date	Apr 25, 2011
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus includes a magneto-caloric element which generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied to and which absorbs heat when the external magnetic field is removed from; a magnetic field switcher which switches the applying and the removal of the external magnetic field from each other; a pump pumping a heat transport medium between a low-temperature end and a high-temperature end of the magneto-caloric element; and an auxiliary heat source device which supplies heat of a heating element to the magneto-caloric element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus comprising:
a first magneto-caloric element which generates heat when a first external magnetic field is applied and which absorbs heat when the first external magnetic field is removed;
a first magnetic field switcher which switches the first external magnetic field between the applying and the removal;
a second magneto-caloric element which generates heat when a second external magnetic field is applied and which absorbs heat when the second external magnetic field is removed;
a second magnetic field switcher which switches the second external magnetic field between the applying and the removal;
a pump pumping heat transport medium from a middle high-temperature end of the first magneto-caloric element toward a high-temperature end of the first magneto-caloric element when the first external magnetic field is applied to the first magneto-caloric element, and pumping the heat transport medium from the high-temperature end toward the middle high-temperature end when the first external magnetic field is removed from the first magneto-caloric element;
the pump pumping the heat transport medium from a low-temperature end of the second magneto-caloric element toward a middle low-temperature end of the second magneto-caloric element when the second external magnetic field is applied to the second magneto-caloric element, and pumping the heat transport medium from the middle low-temperature end toward the low-temperature end when the second external magnetic field is removed from the second magneto-caloric element,
an auxiliary heat source device which supplies heat of a heating element to the first magneto-caloric element; wherein
cold energy which is transported from the high-temperature end toward the middle high-temperature end of the first magneto-caloric element is further transmitted to the middle low-temperature end of the second magneto-caloric element;
the heat of the auxiliary heat source device is transported to the high-temperature end of the first magneto-caloric element;
the auxiliary heat source device includes a heat exchanger that transmits the heat of the heating element to the heat transport medium;
the heat exchanger is disposed outside of a housing that houses the first magneto-caloric element;
the heat exchanger has a ring shape entirely surrounding a circumference of the housing; and
the heat exchanger has an inlet and an exit for the heat transport medium at positions opposing to each other through the housing that houses the first magneto-caloric element.

2. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to the first magneto-caloric element through the heat transport medium.

3. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to the first magneto-caloric element from an intermediate position located between the middle high-temperature end and the high temperature end.

4. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to the first magneto-caloric element from a position adjacent to the high temperature end rather than a middle position between the low temperature end and the high temperature end.

5. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to the middle high-temperature end of the first magneto-caloric element.

6. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a main heat source is outside air outside of a vehicle, and a thermal load is inside air inside of the vehicle;
heat of the outside air is supplied to the inside air; and
the heating element is an inverter device that supplies electricity to a driving motor for driving the vehicle.

7. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an outdoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat with a main heat source;
a low-temperature circulation passage passing through the outdoor heat exchanger;
an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat with a thermal load; and
a high-temperature circulation passage passing through the indoor heat exchanger, wherein
the pump discharges the heat transport medium to the high-temperature circulation passage from the high-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the middle high-temperature end to the high-temperature end,
the pump draws the heat transport medium from the high-temperature circulation passage to the high-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the high-temperature end to the middle high-temperature end,
the pump discharges the heat transport medium to the low-temperature circulation passage from the low-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the middle low-temperature end to the low-temperature end, and
the pump draws the heat transport medium from the low-temperature circulation passage to the low-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the low-temperature end to the middle low-temperature end.

8. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the first magneto-caloric element is arranged in a first unit, the first magneto-caloric element having the high-temperature end and the middle high-temperature end opposite from the high-temperature end, and
the second magneto-caloric element is arranged in a second unit, the second magneto-caloric element having the low-temperature end and the middle low-temperature end opposite from the low-temperature end,

the first magnetic field switcher includes
a first permanent magnet arranged in the first unit, the first permanent magnet switching the first external magnetic field between the applying and the removal for the first magneto-caloric element by rotating, and

the second magnetic field switcher includes
a second permanent magnet arranged in the second unit, the second permanent magnet switching the second external magnetic field between the applying and the removal for the second magneto-caloric element by rotating,

the pump discharges the heat transport medium to the high-temperature circulation passage from the high-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the middle high-temperature end to the high-temperature end in the first unit,
the pump draws the heat transport medium from the high-temperature circulation passage to the high-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the high-temperature end to the middle high-temperature end in the first unit,
the pump discharges the heat transport medium to the low-temperature circulation passage from the low-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the middle low-temperature end to the low-temperature end in the second unit, and
the pump draws the heat transport medium from the low-temperature circulation passage to the low-temperature end when the heat transport medium flows from the low-temperature end to the middle low-temperature end in the second unit.

9. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary heat source device supplies the heat of the heating element to only one of a plurality of element units that has the effective temperature range corresponding to a temperature of the heat of the heating element.

10. The magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus accordin

Assignees

• Morimoto Tsuyoshi
• Watanabe Naoki
• Yatsuzuka Shinichi
• Nishizawa Kazutoshi
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Morimoto Tsuyoshi
• Watanabe Naoki
• Yatsuzuka Shinichi
• Nishizawa Kazutoshi

Classifications

• B60H1/00899

  Controlling the flow of liquid in a heat pump system (controlling the properties of the refrigerant liquid, e.g. pressure or temperature, B60H1/3204) · CPC title

• F25B2321/0022

  with a rotating or otherwise moving magnet · CPC title

• B60H1/32

  Cooling devices {(B60H1/00478, B60H1/005 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F25B21/00 Primary

  Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects · CPC title

• Y02B30/66

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic