Cooltech Applications Societe Par Actions Simplifiee

Cooltech Applications S.a.s.

Cooltech Applications

Cooltech Applications Societe Par Actions Simplifee

Jean-Claude Heitzler

Christian Muller

Jean-Louis Dupin

Alain-Francois Douarre

Jean-Luc Hamm

Georges Nikly

Nicolas Cramet

A heat generator () which comprises magnetocaloric elements () that are arranged in a circle about a central axis. A magnetic arrangement () of alternating magnetized and non-magnetized zones (), that is located within the circle formed by the magnetocaloric elements (), is rotatable around the central axis and co-operates with a field closing device () to loop magnetic flux generated by the magnetic arrangement () and alternately subject the magnetocaloric elements () to a magnetic field variation and create, alternately in each magnetocaloric element (), heating and cooling cycles, in synchronization with the circulation of heat transfer fluid which flows through the magnetocaloric elements () during the heating and cooling cycles. The field closing device () comprises a heat insulation ().

Magnetocaloric thermal generator

A magnetocaloric thermal appliance () comprising at least one thermal module () with at least one magnetocaloric element () in contact with a heat transfer fluid and at least one magnetic arrangement () arranged so as to create a magnetic field in a gap () defined by the magnetic arrangement (). The gap () has two openings () enabling the passage of the thermal module () through the gap () by a relative movement between the magnetocaloric element () and the gap (). The positions able to be taken by the magnetocaloric element (), outside of the gap (), define magnetocaloric region () in which the magnetocaloric region () is disposed in an enclosure delimited by the magnetic arrangement () comprising a body () forming deflector of the magnetic field able to capture and to lead towards the magnetic arrangement () flux of magnetic field that appears outside of the gap ().

Magnetocaloric thermal appliance

A magnetocaloric heat generator () comprising at least one magnetocaloric element () with a first and second ends (), a magnetic arrangement for subjecting the magnetocaloric element () to a variable magnetic field, alternately creating heating and cooling cycles in the magnetocaloric element (), a mechanism for circulating a heat transfer fluid through the magnetocaloric element () alternately towards the first and second ends () and vice versa in synchronisation with the variation of the magnetic field, and at least one energy exchange mechanism (). This heat generator () is crossed in one direction by the heat transfer fluid entering the magnetocaloric element () through one of the ends () during a heating or cooling cycle and to be crossed in the opposite direction by the heat transfer fluid exiting the magnetocaloric element () through the same end () during the other cooling or heating cycle.

Magnetocaloric heat generator

A magnetocaloric heat generator () in which a driving mechanism is () in fluidic connection with first and second ends (and) of a thermal module (), via at least one heat exchange mechanism (), so that the heat transfer fluid circulates in a closed constant-volume fluidic circuit through the magnetocaloric heat generator ().

A method for generating a heat flow from a magnetocaloric element () comprising at least one magnetocaloric material () comprising a hot end () associated with a hot chamber () and a cold end () associated with a cold chamber (), the method comprises magnetically and alternately activating and de-activating the magnetocaloric element () and circulating a heat transfer fluid through the magnetocaloric element () alternately towards the hot chamber () and the cold chamber () in synchronisation with the magnetic activation and de-activation phases. This method is characterized in that the method comprises reversing the direction of circulation of the heat transfer fluid during the magnetic activation and de-activation phases and also relates to a magnetocaloric heat generator implementing the method.

A method for generating a thermal flow from a thermal module comprising at least two magnetocaloric elements connected, two-by-two, through which a heat transfer fluid flows and is exposed to a magnetic field. The circulation exposes alternating elements of the magnetocaloric elements to an opposite variation in the magnetic field, and causes the transfer fluid to circulate simultaneously and in opposite directions in such a manner that the fluid flowing out of one of the magnetocaloric elements, at the end of a heating phase, is circulated, during the following phase, in the following magnetocaloric elements exposed to heating, while the fluid flowing out of one of the magnetocaloric elements, at the end of a cooling phase, is circulated in the following element exposed to cooling, and conversely. The heat transfer fluid is stored an intermediate receiving area. This invention also relates to a thermal generator implementing the method.

Method for generating a thermal flow and magnetocaloric thermal generator

A heat generator comprising at least one thermal module comprising a magnetocaloric element crossed by a heat transfer fluid and two hot and cold chambers arranged on each side of the magnetocaloric element and containing a displacement device for directing the heat transfer fluid through the magnetocaloric element. A magnetic arrangement creates a magnetic field variation in each magnetocaloric element. A device for driving the displacement device, according to reciprocating movement in the concerned chamber, to displace the heat transfer fluid in synchronization with the magnetic field variation. The drive device contains a closed fluid circuit which connects the hot and cold chambers in which a working fluid is driven by a suction and discharge device. At least one switching interface is synchronized with the magnetic arrangement for alternately connecting each hot and cold chamber to suction and discharge sides of the suction and discharge device and inversely.

Thermal generator with magnetocaloric material

A method and an apparatus for increasing the temperature gradient of a magneto-calorific thermal generator comprising magneto-calorific elements subjected to a magnetic field variation. At least one of a pre-heating and pre-cooling of the magneto-calorific elements () is carried out to modify the initial temperature before and/or during the magnetic field variation before reaching the maximum and/or minimum field value. The method and apparatus may be employed in heating, tempering, air conditioning, refrigeration and other industrial or domestic applications.

Process and apparatus to increase the temperature gradient in a thermal generator using magneto-calorific material

A heat generator () comprises at least one thermal module (') which contains at least two adjacent magnetocaloric elements (), and a common distribution chamber (), associated with a heat transfer fluid circulation device (), fluidly connects the adjacent magnetocaloric elements () with one another. Two end chambers () are associated with a circulation means () and fluidly connected each with the two magnetocaloric elements () located at the hot end () and a cold () end of the thermal module (). A magnetic arrangement of the heat generator () subjects each of the magnetocaloric element () to a variable magnetic field. The circulation mechanism (), associated with the common distribution chamber (), moves the heat transfer fluid simultaneously through the two adjacent magnetocaloric elements () in different circulation directions.

A heat generator () having at least one thermal module () that has N adjacent magnetocaloric elements () arranged in a circle around a central axis (A) and is subjected to a varying magnetic field caused by magnetic devices (). The magnetocaloric elements () are associated with N pistons () subjected to a reciprocating translation movement by an actuating cam () to circulate the heat transfer fluid, contained in the thermal module (), in two opposite directions, at the same time, so that a first fraction of the heat transfer fluid circulates towards a hot exchange chamber (), through the magnetocaloric elements () and is subjected to a heating cycle, and a second fraction of the heat transfer fluid circulates towards a cold exchange chamber (), through the magnetocaloric elements (), and is subjected to a cooling cycle, and inversely. The exchange chambers () are coupled with external circuits that use calories and frigories for heating, air-conditioning, tempering systems, etc.

Thermal generator with magnetocaloric material and incorporated heat transfer fluid circulation means

The magnetocaloric heat generator () comprises at least two magnetocaloric elements () arranged in succession and making up at least two consecutive thermal stages crossed by separate heat transfer fluids and comprising each two opposite ends (andand), a magnetic arrangement intended for subjecting each magnetocaloric element () to a variable magnetic field, alternately creating a heating cycle and a cooling cycle in each magnetocaloric element (), a mechanism () for circulating the heat transfer fluids through the magnetocaloric elements alternately towards one end and towards the opposite end and vice versa, in synchronization with the variation of the magnetic field. The magnetocaloric elements () are connected thermally two by two at their consecutive ends () through the intermediary of a heat exchange mechanism () in thermal contact respectively with the heat transfer fluid circulating in the first () of the magnetocaloric elements and with the heat transfer fluid circulating in the second () of the magnetocaloric elements.

A thermal generator () with at least one thermal module () comprising at least two magnetocaloric elements (). The thermal generator is characterized in that it comprises at least two magnetic assemblies () in which one magnetic assembly () subjects at least one magnetocaloric element () of the thermal module () to alternate magnetic phases. The thermal generator is further characterized in that it comprises a thermally insulating body insulating the magnetic assemblies () from each other and forming thermally insulated cells () comprising one magnetic assembly () and its corresponding magnetocaloric elements ().

Thermal generator using magnetocaloric material

A heat exchanger for connecting thermal elements to one another and an external circuit in series, in parallel or according to a mixed configuration which limits the risk of leakage and the number of connections. The heat exchanger includes calorie-emitting and negative calorie-emitting thermal elements, and a conduit which passes through each of the thermal elements and has inlet and outlet orifices that are connected to one another and to at least one thermal fluid circuit by an interface plate. The interface plate includes two supply orifices and two discharge orifices for connecting the interface circuits to external hot and cold circuits for using the calories and the negative calories recovered from the thermal fluid.

Heat exchanger with interface plate forming a fluid circuit

The thermal flux generating device () with magnetocaloric material comprises an external cylindrical shell (), made out of metal or any other adequate material, which delimits the inside of the device (). Inside this shell (), a rotor () is mounted coaxially which consists of a rotary magnetic arrangement, at least one roughly circular ring of elements () comprising at least one magnetocaloric material, this ring is positioned coaxially around the rotor () and a set of electric coils (), with radial axes, evenly positioned around the rotor () and which make up a stator () electrically supplied so as to create a rotating field that rotationally drives the magnetic arrangement.

Thermal flux generating device with magnetocaloric material

A magnetocaloric element () made by an alignment of at least two adjacent sets (MC-) of magnetocaloric materials having different Curie temperatures. The magnetocaloric materials within a same set (MC-) have the same Curie temperature. The sets (MC-) are arranged according to an increasing Curie temperature, and the magnetocaloric element () comprises elements (MA-) for initiating a temperature gradient between a hot end () and an opposed cold end () of the magnetocaloric element ().

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Horbourg-Wihr, France

Jean-Claude Heitzler