Magnetic refrigeration system and vehicle air conditioning device

Abstract

A magnetic refrigeration system constructed in such a way that a refrigerant transfer part transfers refrigerant from a first refrigerant discharge part of one refrigerant port to a first refrigerant circulation circuit after a magnetic field is applied to a magnetic working material by a magnetic field applying and removing part and that the refrigerant transfer part transfers refrigerant from a second refrigerant discharge part of other refrigerant port to a second refrigerant circulation circuit after the magnetic field is removed from the magnetic working material by the magnetic field applying and removing part.

1 . A magnetic refrigeration system comprising:
 a cylindrical container having a plurality of working chambers formed therein radially in a circumferential direction, the plurality of working chambers having a magnetic working material having a magnetocaloric effect arranged therein and having refrigerant flowing therethrough, the cylindrical container having one and other refrigerant ports respectively on end faces in a longitudinal direction;   a magnetic field applying and removing part which repeats applying and removing a magnetic field to and from the magnetic working material;   a first refrigerant circulation circuit constructed in such a way that the refrigerant flowing out of a first refrigerant discharge part of the one refrigerant port flows through a first heat exchanger and returns to a first refrigerant suction part of the one refrigerant port;   a second refrigerant circulation circuit constructed in such a way that the refrigerant flowing out of a second refrigerant discharge part of the other refrigerant port flows through a second heat exchanger and returns to a second refrigerant suction part of the other refrigerant port; and   a refrigerant transfer part which transfers the refrigerant between the one refrigerant port and the other refrigerant port, wherein   the refrigerant transfer part is constructed in such a way as to transfer the refrigerant from the other refrigerant port to the one refrigerant port after the magnetic field is applied to the magnetic working material by the magnetic field applying and removing part to thereby make the refrigerant flow out of the first refrigerant discharge part of the one refrigerant port to the first refrigerant circulation circuit, and in such a way as to transfer the refrigerant from the one refrigerant port to the other refrigerant port after the magnetic field is removed from the magnetic working material by the magnetic field applying and removing part to thereby make the refrigerant flow out of the second refrigerant discharge part of the other refrigerant port to the second refrigerant circulation circuit, and   a volume of a space constructing each of the first refrigerant suction part, the first refrigerant discharge part, the second refrigerant suction part and the second refrigerant discharge part is smaller than a volume of the refrigerant discharged at one time in the refrigerant transfer part.   
     
     
         2 . A magnetic refrigeration system comprising:
 a cylindrical container having a plurality of working chambers formed therein radially in a circumferential direction, the plurality of working chambers having a magnetic working material having a magnetocaloric effect arranged therein and having refrigerant flowing therethrough, the cylindrical container having one and other refrigerant ports respectively on end faces in a longitudinal direction;   a magnetic field applying and removing part which repeats applying and removing a magnetic field to and from the magnetic working material;   a first refrigerant circulation circuit constructed in such a way that the refrigerant flowing out of a first refrigerant discharge part of the one refrigerant port flows through a first heat exchanger and returns to a first refrigerant suction part of the one refrigerant port;   a second refrigerant circulation circuit constructed in such a way that the refrigerant flowing out of a second refrigerant discharge part of the other refrigerant port flows through a second heat exchanger and returns to a second refrigerant suction part of the other refrigerant port; and   a refrigerant transfer part which transfers the refrigerant between the one refrigerant port and the other refrigerant port, wherein   after the magnetic field is applied to the magnetic working material by the magnetic field applying and removing part, the refrigerant transfer part transfers the refrigerant from the other refrigerant port to the one refrigerant port, and   after the magnetic field is removed from the magnetic working material by the magnetic field applying and removing part, the refrigerant transfer part transfers the refrigerant from the one refrigerant port to the other refrigerant port.   
     
     
         3 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a suction valve provided to each of the first refrigerant suction part and the second refrigerant suction part and opened when the refrigerant is sucked into the working chambers, and   a discharge valve provided to each of the first refrigerant discharge part and the second refrigerant discharge part and opened when the refrigerant is discharged from the working chambers.   
     
     
         4 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 3 , wherein the discharge valve is arranged at a position nearer to the working chambers than the suction valve is in the longitudinal direction of the container. 
     
     
         5 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 of the suction valve and the discharge valve, at least the suction valve is constructed of a rotary valve having a valve plate and a rotary disk, the valve plate being arranged adjacently to the working chambers and having a communication hole communicating with interior of the working chambers, the rotary disk rotating in a circumferential direction of the container to thereby open or close the communication hole.   
     
     
         6 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 5 , wherein the rotary valve is constructed in such a way that the rotary disk rotates by power for driving the magnetic field applying and removing part. 
     
     
         7 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first backward flow preventing part provided to each of the first refrigerant suction part and the first refrigerant discharge part of the one refrigerant port so as to allow the refrigerant to flow in one direction in order of the first refrigerant discharge part, a refrigerant flow-in port of the first heat exchanger, a refrigerant flow-out port of the first heat exchanger, and the first refrigerant suction part; and   a second backward flow preventing part provided to each of the second refrigerant suction part and the second refrigerant discharge part of the other refrigerant port so as to allow the refrigerant to flow in one direction in order of the second refrigerant discharge part, a refrigerant flow-in port of the second heat exchanger, a refrigerant flow-out port of the second heat exchanger, and the second refrigerant suction part.   
     
     
         8 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first backward flow preventing part and the second backward flow preventing part is constructed of a fluid diode in which resistance is smaller in a forward direction of a flow of the refrigerant than in a backward direction of the flow of the refrigerant. 
     
     
         9 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 each of the first refrigerant suction part and the second refrigerant suction part is one of a plurality of refrigerant suction parts disposed in correspondence to the plurality of working chambers,   each of the first refrigerant discharge part and the second refrigerant discharge part is one of a plurality of refrigerant discharge parts disposed in correspondence to the plurality of working chambers,   the plurality of refrigerant suction parts are positioned on a same circumference when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the container, and   the plurality of refrigerant discharge parts are positioned on a same circumference when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the container.   
     
     
         10 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the magnetic field applying and removing part is constructed of a magnetic field generating part, a rotary shaft which rotatably supports the magnetic field generating part and a drive part which drives the rotary shaft, and   the magnetic field generating part is disposed in such a way as to periodically come near to the magnetic working material according to rotation of the rotary shaft.   
     
     
         11 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a power transmission mechanism which transmits power by the drive part to the refrigerant transfer part,   wherein the refrigerant transfer part reciprocally transfers the refrigerant between the one refrigerant port and the other refrigerant port by the power transmitted via the power transmission mechanism.   
     
     
         12 . The magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 2 , wherein the refrigerant transfer part is constructed of a multi-cylinder type piston pump having a plurality of cylinders and a plurality of pistons so as to correspond to the plurality of working chambers. 
     
     
         13 . A vehicle air conditioning device to which the magnetic refrigeration system according to  claim 2  is applied, the vehicle air conditioning device comprising:
 a case constructing an air flow passage for blown air to be blown into a passenger compartment, 
 wherein the first heat exchanger is arranged in the case to construct a heating heat exchanger that heats the blown air, and 
 wherein the second heat exchanger is arranged in the case to construct a cooling heat exchanger that cools the blown air. 
 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle air conditioning device according to  claim 13 , wherein the first heat exchanger is arranged downstream of the second heat exchanger in a flow of the blown air in the case. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle air conditioning device according to  claim 13  further comprising:
 a temperature adjusting part which adjusts a volume of the blown air flowing into the first heat exchanger to thereby adjust a temperature of air blown off into the passenger compartment.