Active magnetic regenerator device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777952-B2
Application number	US-201515116949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2015
Priority date	Feb 5, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A rotating active magnetic regenerator (AMR) device comprising two or more regenerator beds, a magnet arrangement and a valve arrangement. The valve arrangement comprises a plurality of valve elements arranged substantially immovably with respect to the regenerator beds along a rotational direction. A cam surface is arranged substantially immovably with respect to the magnet arrangement along the rotational direction, and comprises a plurality of cam elements arranged to cooperate with the valve elements in order to control opening degrees of the valve elements, in accordance with a relative position of the cam elements and the valve elements. Thereby the opening degree of each valve element is controlled in accordance with a relative angular position of the regenerator beds and the magnet arrangement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An active magnetic regenerator device comprising:
two or more regenerator beds, each regenerator bed comprising magnetocaloric material, a first flow passage allowing fluid to pass through the regenerator bed along a first flow direction, and a second flow passage allowing fluid to pass through the regenerator bed along a second flow direction, the second flow direction being substantially opposite to the first flow direction,
a magnet arrangement arranged at least partly circumferentially with respect to the regenerator beds, the magnet arrangement comprising at least two sections comprising permanent magnets,
a first heat exchanger arranged to exchange heat with fluid received from the first flow passages of the regenerator beds, and a second heat exchanger arranged to exchange heat with fluid received from the second flow passages of the regenerator beds, and
a valve arrangement arranged to control fluid flow through the regenerator beds,

wherein the regenerator beds and the magnet arrangement are arranged to perform rotational movements relative to each other, and wherein the valve arrangement comprises:
a plurality of valve elements, each valve element being arranged to control a supply of fluid to at least one regenerator bed, via the first flow passage or the second flow passage, the plurality of valve elements being arranged substantially immovably with respect to the regenerator beds along a direction of relative rotational movement, and
at least one cam surface arranged substantially immovably with respect to the magnet arrangement along the direction of relative rotational movement, the cam surface(s) comprising a plurality of cam elements arranged along the cam surface, each cam element being adapted to cooperate with a valve element in order to control an opening degree of the valve element, in accordance with a relative position of the cam element and the valve element,
the valve elements and the cam surface thereby being arranged to perform rotational movements relative to each other, said movements corresponding to the relative movements of the regenerator beds and the magnet arrangement, the opening degree of each valve element thereby being controlled in accordance with a relative angular position of the regenerator beds and the magnet arrangement.

2. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 1 , wherein the regenerator beds are stationary and the magnet arrangement is adapted to perform rotational movements.

3. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 1 , wherein each cam element has a shape which reflects variations in a magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet section of the magnet arrangement, the valve elements thereby defining a fluid flow profile which is chosen according to a magnetic field profile of the permanent magnet.

4. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 1 , wherein the cam surface comprises at least a first region and a second region, and wherein the first region comprises a plurality of cam elements having a first shape, and the second region comprises a plurality of cam elements having a second shape, the second shape differing from the first shape, and wherein the cam surface is movable between a first position in which the first region is arranged in contact with the valve elements and a second position in which the second region is arranged in contact with the valve elements.

5. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 4 , wherein the cam surface further comprises an intermediate region arranged between the first region and the second region, said intermediate region defining substantially continuous cam sections interconnecting the cam elements of the first region with cam elements of the second region.

6. The active magnetic regenerator device according claim 1 , wherein each of the cam elements has a shape which varies substantially continuously along a substantially axial direction.

7. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 1 , wherein the valve elements are poppet valves.

8. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 1 , wherein the cam surface forms an inner surface or an outer surface of a ring shaped member.

9. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnet arrangement further comprises at least two sections of soft magnetic material, arranged between the permanent magnet sections.

10. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 1 , wherein the regenerator beds are arranged annularly.

11. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 10 , wherein the regenerator beds are arranged angularly equidistantly.

12. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnet sections are arranged annularly.

13. The active magnetic regenerator device according to claim 12 , wherein the permanent magnet sections are arranged angularly equidistantly.

Assignees

• Univ Danmarks Tekniske

Inventors

• Eriksen Dan
• Engelbrecht Kurt
• Bahl Christian

Classifications

• F25B21/00 Primary

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

• F25B2600/2515

  Flow valves · CPC title

• Y02B30/66

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F25B2321/0022

  with a rotating or otherwise moving magnet · CPC title

• F25B41/04

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic