Patent ID: 9534816
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: F25B,Y02B

Claim:
1. A thermo-magnetic cycle apparatus comprising: a magnetic element having a Curie temperature distribution in a predetermined distribution direction; a magnetic-field supplier which supplies an external magnetic field to the magnetic element; a pump pumping heat transport medium to have a both-way flow in the predetermined distribution direction, the heat transport medium transporting heat of the magnetic element; and a bypass device which causes a position of a high temperature end and/or a low temperature end of the magnetic element to move; wherein the magnetic element is a magneto-caloric element generating heat when the external magnetic field is applied to and absorbing heat when the external magnetic field is removed from, the magnetic-field supplier is a magnetic field switcher switching the external magnetic field between the applying and the removal of the external magnetic field, the pump pumps heat transport medium to flow from the low temperature end toward the high temperature end when the external magnetic field is applied to the magneto-caloric element, and pumps heat transport medium to flow from the high temperature end toward the low temperature end when the external magnetic field is removed from the magneto-caloric element as the both-way flow, the bypass device invalidates a predetermined part of the magneto-caloric element located on an end portion of the magneto-caloric element, the bypass device has a passage controller that prohibits the heat transport medium from flowing through the predetermined part, the passage controller has a bypass passage bypassing the predetermined part to flow the heat transport medium, and a valve device that switches the heat transport medium to flow through the bypass passage or the predetermined part, the valve device is located in the bypass passage and/or a main passage through which the heat transport medium flows through the predetermined part, the passage controller further has a drive unit that drives the valve device based on an index relating with a temperature of the high temperature end and/or the low temperature end, the magneto-caloric element works as an active magnetic refrigeration cycle, the drive unit includes a temperature detector and a drive mechanism, the temperature detector detects an ambient temperature or a temperature around the drive unit and the drive mechanism drives the valve device in accordance with the temperature detected by the temperature detector, the magneto-caloric element has a plurality of element units that is constructed by the predetermined part and remainders other than the predetermined part, a clearance is defined between the predetermined part and the remainders, the heat transport medium flowing through the clearance, the clearance has a volume smaller than a volume corresponding to an amplitude of the both-way flow of the heat transport medium generated by the pump, the bypass passage is branched from the clearance, and a volume of the bypass passage is smaller than the volume corresponding to the amplitude of the both-way flow of the heat transport medium generated by the pump.