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Active magnetic regenerator method and apparatus

Patent ·
OSTI ID:868942
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1];  [5]
  1. Madison, WI
  2. McFarland, WI
  3. Deerfield, WI
  4. Oconomowoc, WI
  5. Austin, TX
+ Show Author Affiliations

In an active magnetic regenerator apparatus having a regenerator bed of material exhibiting the magnetocaloric effect, flow of heat transfer fluid through the bed is unbalanced, so that more fluid flows through the bed from the hot side of the bed to the cold side than from the cold side to the hot side. The excess heat transfer fluid is diverted back to the hot side of the bed. The diverted fluid may be passed through a heat exchanger to draw heat from a fluid to be cooled. The apparatus may be operated at cryogenic temperatures, and the heat transfer fluid may be helium gas and the fluid to be cooled may be hydrogen gas, which is liquified by the device. The apparatus can be formed in multiple stages to allow a greater span of cooling temperatures than a single stage, and each stage may be comprised of two bed parts. Where two bed parts are employed in each stage, a portion of the fluid passing from the hot side to the cold side of a first bed part which does not have a magnetic field applied thereto is diverted back to the cold side of the other bed part in the stage, where it is passed through to the hot side. The remainder of the fluid from the cold side of the bed part of the first stage is passed to the hot side of the bed part of the second stage.

Research Organization:
ASTRONAUTICS CORP OF AMERICA
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-90CE40895
Assignee:
Astronautics Corporation of America (Milwaukee, WI)
Patent Number(s):
US 5249424
OSTI ID:
868942
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (6)

Optimal Temperature -Entropy Curves for Magnetic Refrigeration book January 1988
Modeling the Active Magnetic Regenerator book January 1992
Test Results of an Active Magnetic Regenerative Refrigerator book January 1992
Materials for Regenerative Magnetic Cooling Spanning 20K to 80K book January 1992
Design of an Active Magnetic Regenerative Hydrogen Liquefier book January 1992
Evaluation of industrial magnetic heat pump/refrigerator concepts that utilize superconducting magnets report June 1989

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