Caloric heat pump for an appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsMichael Goodman Schroeder, Michael Alexander Benedict
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat pump system includes a caloric heat pump with a regenerator housing that is rotatable about an axial direction. A caloric material is disposed within a chamber of the regenerator housing. The caloric material defines a plurality of channels that extend along the axial direction through the caloric material. The channels of the plurality of channels are spaced from one another along a circumferential direction within the caloric material. A working fluid is flowable through the plurality of channels between end portions of the regenerator housing. A related refrigerator appliance is also provided.
Claims14
A heat pump system, comprising
- a hot side heat exchanger;
- a cold side heat exchanger;
- a pump operable to flow a working fluid between the hot and cold side heat exchangers;
- a caloric heat pump comprising
- a regenerator housing defining a circumferential direction and rotatable about an axial direction, the regenerator housing extending along the axial direction between a first end portion of the regenerator housing and a second end portion of the regenerator housing, the regenerator housing defining a chamber that extends longitudinally along the axial direction between the first and second end portions of the regenerator housing;
- and
- a caloric material disposed within the chamber of the regenerator housing, the caloric material defining a plurality of channels that extend along the axial direction through the caloric material, the channels of the plurality of channels spaced from one another along the circumferential direction within the caloric material, the working fluid flowable through the plurality of channels between the first and second end portions of the regenerator housing,
- wherein the caloric material extends continuously along the axial and circumferential directions within the chamber of the regenerator housing,
- wherein no baffle or wall that divides the caloric material is disposed within the chamber of the regenerator housing, and
- wherein the caloric material has a cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface that are spaced along a radial direction.
A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
- a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;
- and
- a heat pump system operable to cool the chilled chamber, the heat pump system comprising
- a cold side heat exchanger positioned at the chilled chamber;
- a hot side heat exchanger positioned outside the chilled chamber;
- a pump operable to flow a working fluid between the hot and cold side heat exchangers;
- a caloric heat pump comprising
- a regenerator housing defining a circumferential direction and rotatable about an axial direction, the regenerator housing extending along the axial direction between a first end portion of the regenerator housing and a second end portion of the regenerator housing, the regenerator housing defining a chamber that extends longitudinally along the axial direction between the first and second end portions of the regenerator housing;
- and
- a caloric material disposed within the chamber of the regenerator housing, the caloric material defining a plurality of channels that extend along the axial direction through the caloric material, the channels of the plurality of channels spaced from one another along the circumferential direction within the caloric material, the working fluid flowable through the plurality of channels between the first and second end portions of the regenerator housing,
- wherein the caloric material extends continuously along the axial and circumferential directions within the chamber of the regenerator housing,
- wherein no baffle or wall that divides the caloric material is disposed within the chamber of the regenerator housing, and
- wherein the caloric material has a cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface that are spaced along a radial direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.