Temperature control unit, especially vehicle temperature control unit

A vehicle temperature control unit comprising:

• at least one temperature control body extending in a body longitudinal direction and comprising magnetocaloric material, the magnetocaloric material forming a heat transfer medium flow region around which or through which, or both through which and around which heat transfer medium flows;
• a magnetic field arrangement comprising a plurality of spaced apart pairs of magnets following one another in a shifting direction, the plurality of spaced apart pairs of magnets forming a magnetic field therebetween for providing magnetic field heating areas and to form, in each space between two magnetic field heating areas, a cooling area with the heating areas and cooling areas following one another in the longitudinal direction of the temperature control body;
• an electric motor drive connected to the magnetic field arrangement for linear motion of the magnetic field arrangement in the shifting direction;
• and
• a flow arrangement cooperating with the heat transfer medium flow region to establish a plurality of heat transfer medium flow zones following one another in the longitudinal direction of the temperature control body, wherein the flow arrangement comprises controllable valves for selectively establishing heat transfer medium circulation sectors with at least two heat transfer medium flow zones adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction and heat input fluid passes through the heat transfer medium flow region for feeding heat into or for discharging heat from the plurality of heat transfer medium flow zones.

A temperature control unit comprising:

• at least one temperature control body, which is elongated in a longitudinal direction of the at least one temperature control body and which is made of magnetocaloric material and through which or around which or both through which and around which heat transfer medium flows;
• a magnetic field arrangement comprising magnetic field heating areas which are arranged following one another in a shifting direction and cooling areas respectively between the following magnetic field heating areas;
• and
• a plurality of heat transfer medium flow zones provided with the at least one temperature control body following one another in the longitudinal direction of the at least one temperature control body, at least two of the plurality of heat transfer medium flow zones adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the temperature control body providing at least one heat transfer medium circulation sector, wherein heat input fluid can flow through or around or both through and around at least one of the plurality of heat transfer medium flow zones for feeding heat into the at least one of the plurality of heat transfer medium flow zones, wherein heat discharge fluid can flow through or around or both through and around at least one of the plurality of heat transfer medium flow zones for discharging heat from the at least one of the plurality of heat transfer medium flow zones, wherein the magnetic field arrangement on at least one side essentially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the at least one temperature control body comprises a plurality of permanent magnets, which are arranged spaced apart from one another and following one another in the longitudinal direction of the at least one temperature control body and which provide essentially the magnetic field heating areas, the cooling areas being provided between magnets arranged spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the at least one temperature control body, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets following one another in the longitudinal direction of the at least one temperature control body and arranged spaced apart from one another are provided each on both sides of the at least one temperature control body essentially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the at least one temperature control body, one magnet on the other side being located opposite at least one magnet on one side.