# US 10,502,462 B2 · Magnetocaloric thermal generator and method of cooling same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,462 B2 - Document ID: US10502462B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/107,563 - Filed: 2014-12-22 - Published: 2016-12-08 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-27 - Assignees: Cooltech Applications - Applicants: Cooltech Applications - Inventors: Christian Muller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502462B2 ## CPC - F25B 21/00: Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects - F25B 2321/002: by using magneto-caloric effects - F25B 2321/0021: with a static fixed magnet - F25B 2321/0022: with a rotating or otherwise moving magnet - Y02B 30/00: Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A magnetocaloric thermal generator having a primary circuit fluidically connecting first and second stages of magnetocaloric elements using a heat transfer primary fluid flowing alternately back and forth. The stages being subjected to variable magnetic field of a magnetic system. The primary system includes a cold side and a hot side to which the magnetocaloric elements of the stages are fluidically connected. At least the cold side of the primary circuit has an outlet point connected to another point of the primary circuit, referred to as the injection point, on the hot side by a bypass pipe allowing the primary fluid to be displaced only from the outlet point towards the injection point. The magnetocaloric thermal generator is used in a method for cooling the secondary fluid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetocaloric thermal generator (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80) comprising: at least one primary circuit (P10, P20, P30, P40, P50, P60, P70) fluidically connecting magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12, M21, M22, M111, M112, M113, M114, M221, M222, M223, M224) by a heat transfer primary fluid flowing alternately back and forth, the magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12, M21, M22, M111, M112, M113, M114, M221, M222, M223, M224) being subjected to a variable magnetic field of a magnetic system (2) that alternately creates, in each of the magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12, M21, M22, M111, M112, M113, M114, M221, M222, M223, M224), a magnetic heating phase and a magnetic cooling phase generator, the primary circuit comprises a cold side (F) and a hot side (C) at which the magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12; M111, M112 et M21, M22, M223, M224) are fluidically connected with each other, wherein at least one of the hot (C) and the cold (F) sides of the primary circuit comprises at least one outlet point (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) connected to an injection point (I1, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7, I8, I9, I10, I11) provided at the other one of the cold (F) and the hot (C) side of the primary circuit by at least one bypass pipe (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10, D11) allowing the primary fluid to be displaced only from the outlet point (S1, S2,S3, S4, S5, S6) towards the injection point (I1, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7, I8, I9, I10, I11). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The thermal generator according to claim 1, wherein the magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12, M21, M22, M111, M112, M113, M114, M221, M222, M223, M224) are distributed in at least first and second stages (E1, E2, E10, E20), and the magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12; M111,M112) of the first stage (E1, E10) are connected fluidically with each other on the cold side (F), and the magnetocaloric elements (M21, M22, M223, M224) of the second stage (E2, E20) are connected fluidically with each other on the hot side (C). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The thermal generator according to claim 1, wherein the bypass pipe (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10, D11) is thermally connected to a secondary circuit (6) by at least one heat exchange zone (ZF1, ZF2, ZF3, ZF4, ZF5, ZF6, ZF7, ZF8, ZF9, ZF10, ZF11). ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The thermal generator according to claim 3, wherein the heat exchange zone (ZF1, ZF2, ZF3, ZF4, ZF5, ZF6, ZF7, ZF8, ZF9, ZF10, ZF11) is designed to achieve a counter-current displacement between the primary fluid and a secondary fluid of the secondary circuit (6). ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The thermal generator according to claim 3, wherein the heat exchange zone (ZF1, ZF2, ZF3, ZF4, ZF5, ZF6, ZF7, ZF8, ZF9, ZF10) is designed to achieve a co-current displacement between the primary fluid and a secondary fluid of the secondary circuit (6). ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The thermal generator according to claim 3, wherein the heat exchange zone (ZF1, ZF2, ZF3, ZF4, ZF5, ZF6, ZF7, ZF8, ZF9, ZF10) is designed to achieve a cross-current displacement between the primary fluid and a secondary fluid of the secondary circuit (6). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The thermal generator according to claim 1, wherein the bypass pipe (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10, D11) comprises a device (5) for adjusting a flow rate of the primary fluid that circulates therein. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The thermal generator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet point (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) is boated in the cold side (F) of the primary circuit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The thermal generator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet point is located in the hot side (C) of the primary circuit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The thermal generator according to claim 8, wherein the injection point (I1, I2, I3, I4, I5) is located in the hot side (C) of the primary circuit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The thermal generator according to claim 9, wherein the injection point is located in the cold side (F) of the primary circuit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The thermal generator according to claim 1, wherein the injection point (I6, I7, I10, I11, I12, I13) is located between first and second stages (E1, E2; E10, E20) of the magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12, M21, M22, M111, M112, M113, M114, M221, M222, M223, M224). ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The thermal generator according to claim 1, wherein the injection point (I8, I9) is located between consecutive magnetocaloric elements (M111, M112, M113, M114, M221, M222, M223, M224) of each stage (E13, E20). ### Claim 14 A method of cooling a secondary fluid by a magnetocaloric thermal generator (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80) that has at least one primary circuit (P10, P20, P30, P40, P50, P60, P70) fluidically connecting magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12, M21, M22, M111, M112, M113, M114, M221, M222, M223, M224) by a heat transfer primary fluid flowing alternately back and forth, the magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12, M21, M22, M111, M112, M113, M114, M221, M222, M223, M224) being subjected to a variable magnetic field of a magnetic system (2) that alternately creates, in each of the magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12, M21, M22, M111, M112, M113, M114, M221, M222, M223, M224), a magnetic heating phase and a magnetic cooling phase generator, the primary circuit comprises a cold side (F) and a hot side (C) at which the magnetocaloric elements (M11, M12; M111, M112 et M21, M22, M223, M224) are fluidically connected with one another, at least one of the hot (C) and the cold (F) sides of the primary circuit includes at least one outlet point (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) connected to an injection point (I1, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7, I8, I9, I10, I11) provided at the other one of the cold (F) the hot (C) side of the primary circuit by at least one bypass pipe (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10, D11) allowing the primary fluid to be displaced only from the outlet point (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) towards the injection point (I1, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7, I8, I9, I10, I11), the method comprising: thermally connecting the secondary circuit (6) in which the secondary fluid circulates by at least one heat exchange zone (ZF1, ZF2, ZF3, ZF4, ZF5, ZF6, ZF7, ZF8, ZF9, ZF10, ZF11) to the at least one bypass pipe (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10, D11) of the magnetocaloric thermal generator, and continuously circulating the secondary fluid in the secondary circuit.