US 2025/0290672 A1Published application

Refrigerator employing rotating magnetic array device and magnetic cooling apparatus

AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

InventorNoriyoshi NISHIYAMA

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Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body with at least one storage chamber and a cold air supply apparatus that includes a rotating magnetic array device and a cold energy extracting device. The rotating magnetic array device comprises a magnetic field generator with multiple magnetic poles that rotate around a shaft. These poles generate magnetic fields, and the magnetic material portions are arranged circumferentially around the shaft, outside the generator. Each magnetic material portion contains a magnetocaloric unit that produces heat and cold energy as the generator rotates. The magnetic poles include a magnet array with magnets in different magnetization directions and a central magnetic pole made of a magnetic substance. This central pole is partially positioned outside the magnet array in the radial direction, with its outer end narrower than the inner end, optimizing the magnetic flux for efficient cooling.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A refrigerator comprising:

a main body provided with at least one storage chamber;
a cold air supply apparatus provided with a rotating magnetic array device and a cold energy extracting device for extracting cold energy generated by the rotating magnetic array device, and supplying the cold energy to the storage chamber,
wherein the rotating magnetic array device comprises:
a magnetic field generator including a plurality of magnetic poles generating a magnetic field, and being rotatable about a rotary shaft;
and
a plurality of magnetic material portions, one or more of the plurality of magnetic material portions including a magnetocaloric unit that includes a magnetocaloric material having a temperature varying depending on a change in an intensity of a magnetic field and generates heat energy and cold energy according to rotation of the magnetic field generator, and being arranged on a circumference based on the rotary shaft at an outer side of the magnetic field generators,
each of the plurality of magnetic poles comprises:
a magnet array including a plurality of magnets having different magnetization directions;
and
a central magnetic pole including a magnetic substance and being at least partially located on an outer side with respect to the magnet array in a radial direction,
the central magnetic pole includes an outer end portion at a side of the magnetic material portion in the radial direction and an inner end portion at a side of the magnet array, and
a width of the outer end portion is less than a width of the inner end portion.

9 more elements

A magnetic cooling apparatus comprising:

a rotating magnetic array device provided with a plurality of magnetic material portions;
and
a cold energy extracting device that extracts cold energy when one of the plurality of magnetic material portions generates the cold energy,
wherein the rotating magnetic array device comprises:
a magnetic field generator including a plurality of magnetic poles generating a magnetic field, and being rotatable about a rotary shaft;
and
the plurality of magnetic material portions, one or more of the plurality of magnetic material portions including a magnetocaloric unit that includes a magnetocaloric material having a temperature varying depending on a change in an intensity of a magnetic field and generates heat energy and cold energy according to rotation of the magnetic field generator, and being arranged on a circumference based on the rotary shaft at an outer side of the magnetic field generators,
each of the plurality of magnetic poles comprises:
a magnet array including a plurality of magnets having different magnetization directions;
and
a central magnetic pole including a magnetic substance and being at least partially located on an outer side with respect to the magnet array in a radial direction,
the central magnetic pole includes an outer end portion at a side of the magnetic material portion in the radial direction and an inner end portion at a side of the magnet array, and
a width of the outer end portion is less than a width of the inner end portion.

10 more elements

A rotating magnetic array apparatus comprising:

a magnetic field generator including a plurality of magnetic poles generating a magnetic field, and being rotatable about a rotary shaft;
and
a plurality of magnetic material portions, one or more of the plurality of magnetic material portions including a magnetocaloric unit that includes a magnetocaloric material having a temperature varying depending on a change in an intensity of a magnetic field and generates heat energy and cold energy according to rotation of the magnetic field generator, and being arranged on a circumference based on the rotary shaft at an outer side of the magnetic field generators,
wherein each of the plurality of magnetic poles comprises:
a magnet array including a plurality of magnets having different magnetization directions;
and
a central magnetic pole including a magnetic substance and being at least partially located on an outer side with respect to the magnet array in a radial direction,
the central magnetic pole includes an outer end portion at a side of the magnetic material portion in the radial direction and an inner end portion at a side of the magnet array, and
a width of the outer end portion is less than a width of the inner end portion.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.