Wheel-type magnetic refrigerator

A magnetic regenerative wheel refrigerator comprising:

• a substantially circular wheel comprising an axis of rotation and concentric inner and outer rims;
• ferromagnetic or paramagnetic porous material disposed within said wheel between said inner and outer rims, said material comprising at least one substance, said material having a Curie temperature near a cold temperature T.sub.C near said inner rim and a Curie temperature near a hot temperature T.sub.H near said outer rim;
• an approximately solenoidal-shaped magnet disposed to produce a magnetic field essentially perpendicular to said axis of said wheel and parallel to its direction of rotation;
• means for driving said wheel about its axis of rotation and through said magnetic field;
• means for maintaining said wheel in proper orientation;
• first and second inner fluid manifolds adjacent said inner rim of said wheel;
• first and second outer fluid manifolds adjacent said outer rim of said wheel;
• thermal load exchange means;
• heat rejection exchange means;
• and
• means for pumping and conducting a fluid from said heat rejection exchange means through said first outer manifold, through a first portion of said material in said wheel adjacent said first outer manifold, from outer rim to inner rim, into and through said first inner manifold to said thermal load exchange means, from there through said second inner manifold, through a second portion of said material in said wheel adjacent said second inner manifold into and through said second manifold and back to said heat rejection means.