Magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly, comprising:

• a magneto-caloric cylinder comprising a plurality of magneto-caloric stages, each of the plurality of magneto-caloric stages having a respective length along an axial direction, the respective length of one of the plurality of magneto-caloric stages being different than the respective length of another of the plurality of magneto-caloric stages;
• and
• a plurality of thermal stages stacked along the axial direction between a cold side and a hot side, each of the plurality of thermal stages comprises a plurality of magnets and a non-magnetic ring, the plurality of magnets distributed along a circumferential direction within the non-magnetic ring in each of the plurality of thermal stages, each of the plurality of thermal stages having a respective length along the axial direction, the respective length of each of the plurality of thermal stages corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of magneto-caloric stages;
• wherein
• the plurality of thermal stages and the magneto-caloric cylinder are configured for relative rotation between the plurality of thermal stages and the magneto-caloric cylinder about an axis that is parallel to the axial direction,
• a cold side thermal stage of the plurality of thermal stages is positioned at the cold side,
• a hot side thermal stage of the plurality of thermal stages is positioned at the hot side,
• each of the plurality of thermal stages between the cold side thermal stage and the hot side thermal stage is positioned between a respective pair of the plurality of thermal stages along the axial direction,
• one of the respective pair of the plurality of thermal stages is positioned closer to the cold side along the axial direction,
• the other of the respective pair of the plurality of thermal stages is positioned closer to the hot side along the axial direction,
• the plurality of magnets of each of the plurality of thermal stages between the cold side thermal stage and the hot side thermal stage is spaced from the non-magnetic ring of the one of the respective pair of the plurality of thermal stages along the axial direction, and
• the plurality of magnets of each of the plurality of thermal stages between the cold side thermal stage and the hot side thermal stage is in conductive thermal contact with the non-magnetic ring of the other of the respective pair of the plurality of thermal stages.