High temperature refrigerator
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorWilliam A. Steyert, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high temperature magnetic refrigerator which uses a Stirling-like cycle in which rotating magnetic working material is heated in zero field and adiabatically magnetized, cooled in high field, then adiabatically demagnetized. During this cycle said working material is in heat exchange with a pumped fluid which absorbs heat from a low temperature heat source and deposits heat in a high temperature reservoir. The magnetic refrigeration cycle operates at an efficiency 70% of Carnot.
Claims18
A high temperature magnetic refrigerator capable of a temperature range of refrigeration load from 2 K to 400 K and operating at a Carnot efficiency of greater than 70% comprising in combination:
- (a) motor and shaft means for rotating a wheel, said wheel contained in a housing,
- (b) surrounding a portion of the housing is situate a superconducting magnet with a field strength of about 7 Telsa, and wherein the wheel rotates in and out of this magnetic field,
- (c) said wheel having a rim composed of a permeable rare earth with inlet and outlet means positioned on the said rim's outer periphery, and
- (d) by means of a pump a fluid is circulated within the said housing and is in thermal contact with the rim by passing back and forth by means of multiple separators through the said rim, and then flowing through a refrigeration load and heat exchanger by means of the said inlet and outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.