Magnetic refrigerator and refrigeration method
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsYoshinori Hakuraku, Hideaki Mori
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Abstract
In magnetic refrigeration wherein a magnetic Ericsson cycle or a magnetic Stirling cycle is realized, the present invention forms a heat path by which heat of a magnetic working substance at an isofield stage of high magnetic field or an isomagnetization stage of high magnetization is given to the magnetic working substance at an isofield stage of low magnetic field or an isomagnetization stage of low magnetization.
Claims11
In a magnetic refrigerator having a working substance for magnetic refrigeration which generates heat isothermally as a magnetic field is supplied thereto and which absorbs heat isothermally as a magnetic field is released therefrom,
- heat exchange means for radiating heat to outside when the working substance generates the heat isothermally and for absorbing heat from the outside when the working substance absorbs heat isothermally;
- means for producing a varying magnetic field that is applied to the working substance to produce a magnetic refrigeration cycle;
- and
- heat transport means made of an anisotropic thermal conductor for establishing a heat path between an isofield stage of high magnetic field and an isofield stage of low magnetic field, or between an iosmagnetization stage of high magnetization and an isomagnetization stage of low magnetization in the two isofield stages or two isomagnetization stages of the magnetic refrigeration cycle.
A magnetic refrigerator comprising:
- a rotator which has a magnetic working substance at a plurality of outer peripheral parts thereof;
- stationary means disposed so as to surround said rotator;
- a high magnetic field device which is disposed at a part of said stationary means confronting the magnetic working substance, a hot source and a cold source which are disposed at spaced positions around the periphery of said stationary means confronting one surface of said rotator and corresponding to both circumferential sides of said high field device;
- and
- an isotropic thermal conductor which is disposed on said stationary means and which transmits heat generated by the magnetic working substance in a high field region, to the magnetic working substance in a low field region.
In a magnetic refrigeration method wherein when a working substance for magnetic refrigeration which generates heat upon applying a magnetic field thereto and which absorbs heat upon releasing a magnetic field therefrom generates heat isothermally, the generated heat is radiated to outside, and when the working substance absorbs heat isothermally, the heat is absorbed from outside to produce a magnetic refrigeration cycle;
- an improvement comprising the step of transmitting the heat of the magnetic working substance at an isofield stage of high magnetic field or an isomagnetization stage of high magnetization, to the magnetic working substance at an isofield stage of low magnetic field or an isomagnetization stage of low magnetization by means including a plurality of spaced strips of an isotropic thermally conductive solid material.
In a magnetic refrigerator having a working substance for magnetic refrigeration which generates heat isothermally as a magnetic field is applied thereto and which absorbs heat isothermally as a magnetic field is released therefrom;
- means for producing a high magnetic field in a region, said field being disposed relative to said working substance so that the magnetic field applied to said working substance varies to produce also a magnetic field region and a magnetic cycle corresponding approximately to either an Ericsson cycle or a Stirling cycle;
- and
- heat transport means including a plurality of spaced strips of an isotropic thermal conductor formed to make direct thermal conduction from said high magnetic field region to said low magnetic field region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.