U.S. patent application number 12/118297 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-02 for magnetic heat exchanging unit for magnetic refrigerator.
This patent application is currently assigned to DAEWOO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Dong Kwan Lee, Seung Hoon Shin.
Application Number | 20080236173 12/118297 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38023462 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080236173 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shin; Seung Hoon ; et
al. |
October 2, 2008 |
Magnetic heat exchanging unit for magnetic refrigerator
Abstract
A magnetic refrigerator includes a magnetic heat exchange unit
including a magnet.
Inventors: |
Shin; Seung Hoon; (Seoul,
KR) ; Lee; Dong Kwan; (Seoul, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
EDELL, SHAPIRO & FINNAN, LLC
1901 RESEARCH BOULEVARD, SUITE 400
ROCKVILLE
MD
20850
US
|
Assignee: |
DAEWOO ELECTRONICS
CORPORATION
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
38023462 |
Appl. No.: |
12/118297 |
Filed: |
May 9, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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PCT/KR2006/004671 |
Nov 9, 2006 |
|
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12118297 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
62/3.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25B 2321/0021 20130101;
F25B 21/00 20130101; Y02B 30/66 20130101; Y02B 30/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/3.1 |
International
Class: |
F25B 21/00 20060101
F25B021/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 10, 2005 |
KR |
10-2005-0107307 |
Claims
1. A magnetic heat exchange unit, comprising: a container including
an inlet port, an outlet port and a magnetic heat exchange chamber;
a magnetocaloric material contained in the magnetic heat exchange
chamber, the magnetocaloric material exchanging heat by allowing a
flow of a heat transfer fluid to pass through; and a magnet for
applying an attractive force to the magnetocaloric material.
2. The magnetic heat exchange unit in accordance with claim 1,
wherein the magnet is attached to the container.
3. The magnetic heat exchange unit in accordance with claim 1,
wherein the magnet is disposed in the magnetocaloric material.
4. The magnetic heat exchange unit in accordance with claim 1,
further comprising a mesh disposed at the inlet port and the outlet
port, respectively.
5. The magnetic heat exchange unit in accordance with claim 4,
wherein the magnetocaloric material comprises gadolinium.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of International
Application No. PCT/KR2006/004671, filed on Nov. 9, 2006, entitled
"Magnetic Heat-Exchanging Unit for Magnetic Refrigerator," which
claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 to Application No. KR
10-2005-0107307 filed on Nov. 10, 2005, the entire contents of
which are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a magnetic heat exchange
unit for a magnetic refrigerator including a magnet.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A conventional magnetic refrigerator is disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,668,560. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in accordance with
the conventional magnetic refrigerator, while a heat transfer fluid
17 entering into a cold side inlet port 22 through a cold side
inlet port pipe 21 flows to a hot side outlet port 34, the heat
transfer fluid 17 absorbs a heat generated by a magnetocaloric
effect of a magnetocaloric material 12 having a magnetic field
applied thereto and exits to a hot side outlet port pipe 33 through
a hot side outlet port ports 34 to cool the magnetocaloric material
12. A hot side sequentially passes the hot side outlet port pipe
33, a valve 71, a pump 60, and a hot heat exchanger 62 and flows
into a magnetic heat exchange compartment 13. In a hot side inlet
port pipe 31, the hot side is divided into the hot side inlet port
pipe 31 and a cold side outlet port 23, and meets a cold side at a
cold side outlet port pipe 24 and proceed to a valve 74. When the
hot side moves from a hot side inlet port 32 to the cold side
outlet port pipe 24, the hot side is cooled by passing the
magnetocaloric material 12 already cooled by the hot side. The cold
side that has passed through the valve 74 passes a cold heat
exchanger 63 and flows to pipes 83 and 21 to repeat a cycle (a
detailed description is omitted. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,560 for
omitted reference numerals).
[0004] However, the conventional magnetic heat exchange unit 13
comprises a magnetic heat exchange compartment including a
container containing the magnetocaloric material passing a flow of
the heat transfer fluid.
[0005] When the heat transfer fluid enters through an inlet mesh,
passes through the heat transfer fluid and exits via a outlet mesh,
a separation of the heat transfer fluid in a form of a powder and
the heat transfer fluid is established by the outlet mesh, thereby
the heat transfer fluid is lost.
[0006] Moreover, the heat transfer fluid is accumulated at the
outlet mesh which the exit of the heat transfer fluid according to
an intensity of a flow of the heat transfer fluid to block the flow
of the heat transfer fluid.
SUMMARY
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
magnetic heat exchange unit for a magnetic refrigerator that
prevents a loss of a heat transfer fluid and that allows the heat
transfer fluid to flow smoothly.
[0008] In order to achieve the above-described object, there is
provided a magnetic heat exchange unit, comprising: a container
including an inlet port, an outlet port and a magnetic heat
exchange chamber; a magnetocaloric material contained in the
magnetic heat exchange chamber, the magnetocaloric material
exchanging heat by allowing a flow of a heat transfer fluid to pass
through; and a magnet for applying an attractive force to the
magnetocaloric material.
[0009] In accordance with the magnetic heat exchange unit, the loss
of the magnetocaloric material is suppressed by holding the
magnetocaloric material with the magnet, thereby allowing the heat
transfer fluid to flow smoothly.
[0010] The magnet may be attached to the container or may be
disposed in the magnetocaloric material.
[0011] The magnetic heat exchange unit in accordance with the
present invention may further comprise a mesh disposed at the inlet
port and the outlet port, respectively to further prevent the loss
of the magnetocaloric material.
[0012] In addition, it is preferable that the magnetocaloric
material comprises a gadolinium.
[0013] According to present invention, a magnetic heat exchange
unit for a magnetic refrigerator that prevents a loss of a heat
transfer fluid and that allows the heat transfer fluid to flow
smoothly can be provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a heat transfer fluid in
a conventional rotational magnet magnetic refrigerator.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a plan view exemplifying a magnetic heat exchange
unit including a magnetocaloric material of FIG. 1.
[0016] FIGS. 3 and 4 are a plan view and a lateral view
respectively exemplifying a magnetic heat exchange unit including a
magnetocaloric material in accordance with a preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] The above-described objects and other objects and
characteristics and advantages of the present invention will now be
described in detail with reference to the accompanied drawings.
[0018] FIGS. 3 and 4 are a plan view and a lateral view
respectively exemplifying a magnetic heat exchange unit including a
magnetocaloric material in accordance with a preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
[0019] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the magnetic heat exchange unit
213 comprises a container, a magnetocaloric material contained in
the container and a magnet 14 for applying an attractive force to
the magnetocaloric material.
[0020] A magnetic heat exchange compartment containing the
magnetocaloric material, and an inlet port and an outlet port for
passing a flow of the heat transfer fluid are formed in the
container. A pipe is connected to the inlet port and the outlet
port.
[0021] It is preferable that the inlet port 16 and the outlet port
17 are arranged on a plane as shown in FIG. 4 in order to prevent
the loss of the heat transfer fluid and to allow the heat transfer
fluid to flow smoothly.
[0022] The magnetocaloric material has a characteristic wherein a
temperature thereof is varied when a magnetic field is applied. A
material having such characteristic includes a gadolinium (Gd) of a
fine powder type. The gadolinium has pores having a high osmosis to
the flow of the heat transfer fluid, and a superior absorption and
emission of a heat. It is preferable that the magnet 14 is attached
to the container or disposed in the magnetocaloric material.
[0023] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the magnet is attached to
the container, the magnet is attached on an outer wall (or an inner
wall) of the container to attract the magnetocaloric material.
[0024] The magnet 14 causes the magnetocaloric material to lump
together so that the loss by the flow of the heat transfer fluid is
prevented.
[0025] In addition, the accumulation of the magnetocaloric material
at the outlet port 17 is minimized to allow the heat transfer fluid
to flow smoothly.
[0026] Particularly, the inlet mesh and the outlet mesh are
installed at the inlet port and the outlet port, the loss of the
magnetocaloric material is suppressed even more.
[0027] While the present invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes
in form and details may be effected therein without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims
[0028] As described above, the magnetic heat exchange unit in
accordance with the present invention provides following
advantages.
[0029] The loss of the magnetocaloric material is suppressed by
holding the magnetocaloric material with the magnet, and the
magnetocaloric material the heat transfer fluid may be easily
separated, thereby preventing the blocking of the outlet port and
allowing the heat transfer fluid to flow smoothly.
[0030] In addition, when the meshes are installed at the inlet port
and the outlet port, the loss of the magnetocaloric material is
minimized by a filtering even when the magnetocaloric material is
lost.
* * * * *