Patent ID: 9702594
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: F25B,Y02B

Claim:
1. A magneto-caloric refrigerator (MCR) comprising: at least one magnetic caloric effect (MCE) disk, a plurality of heat commutators, and a thermal interface fluid (TIF); a) said MCE disk comprising an MCE ring made of suitable MCE material and formed as an annular disk; b) said heat commutators each being formed as an annular disk; c) said heat commutators arranged substantially equally spaced on a common axis; d) said MCE disks arranged to interspace said heat commutators, e) said MCE disks arranged to rotate about their axis of rotational symmetry and with respect to said commutators; f) each said MCE ring being separated from adjacent heat commutator by an axial gap; g) said TIF arranged to substantially fill said axial gap; h) each said commutator comprising a thermally conducting core, a thermally insulating portion, and a permanent magnet; and i) said permanent magnet arranged so that a rotation of said MCE ring cyclically exposes said MCE material to a sequence of (i) relatively low magnetic field, (ii) increasing magnetic field, (iii) strong magnetic field, and (iv) decreasing magnetic field.