Patent ID: 8869541

Claim:
A heat generator ( 1 , 100 ) comprising magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ) and magnetic devices ( 3 ) arranged to alternately subject the magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ) to a variation in a magnetic field and alternately create, in each magnetocaloric element ( 2 ), a heating cycle and a cooling cycle, at least one heat transfer fluid arranged to collect at least one of heat energy (calories) and cold energy (frigories) produced by the magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ) during the heating and cooling cycles, at least one hot exchange chamber ( 5 ) and one cold exchange chamber ( 6 ) respectively placed at hot and cold ends of the heat generator ( 1 , 100 ), means for circulating ( 4 ) the heat transfer fluid between the magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ) and the hot and cold exchange chambers ( 5 , 6 ), the heat generator comprising at least one thermal module ( 10 - 13 ) comprising at least one set of a number of adjacently arranged magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ), and the means for circulating ( 4 ) being synchronized with the variation in magnetic field and being arranged to alternately circulate the heat transfer fluid inside the thermal module ( 10 - 13 ) in two opposite directions at the same time, between the hot ( 5 ) and cold ( 6 ) exchange chambers through the magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ), so that a first fraction of the heat transfer fluid circulates towards the hot exchange chamber ( 5 ), through the magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ) subjected to a heating cycle, and a second fraction of the heat transfer fluid circulates towards the cold exchange chamber ( 6 ) through the magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ) subjected to a cooling cycle, and inversely, wherein the means for circulating ( 4 ) are arranged to displace the heat transfer fluid between the hot ( 5 ) and cold ( 6 ) exchange chambers in a reciprocating movement, and comprise at least a same number of pistons ( 40 ) as the number of adjacently arranged magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ), the pistons ( 40 ) are positioned opposite the magnetocaloric elements ( 2 ), and the pistons ( 40 ) are subjected to a reciprocating translation movement by a driving mechanism ( 7 ) that comprises at least one actuating cam ( 70 ) driven by an actuator.