JP6683138B2 - Thermomagnetic cycle device - Google Patents

Description

  The technology disclosed herein relates to a thermomagnetic cycle device that utilizes the temperature characteristics of a magnetic material, and can be used as a magnetocaloric effect heat pump device.

  Conventionally, a magnetic heat pump device is known as one form of a thermomagnetic cycle device. Such a device comprises a magnetocaloric element, a container, a magnetic field modulator and a heat transport device. A magnetocaloric element is arranged in a working chamber formed by the container. The magnetic field modulator modulates an external magnetic field applied to the magnetocaloric element. The heat transport device reciprocates the heat transport medium that exchanges heat with the magnetocaloric element inside the work chamber in synchronization with the modulation of the external magnetic field so as to generate a high temperature end and a low temperature end in the work chamber.

  The magnetocaloric element is formed by arranging a plurality of element blocks in the reciprocating direction of the heat transport medium. Each of the plurality of element blocks is formed by laminating a plurality of element plates of the same shape in which flow channel grooves extending in the reciprocating direction of the heat transport medium are formed. Spacers are provided between adjacent element blocks. Such a device is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 below.

JP, 2016-80206, A

  In the above-mentioned conventional thermomagnetic cycle apparatus, when manufacturing the element plate, the dimensions of each part including the channel groove are likely to vary, and in the element block formed by stacking the element plates, the position of the channel groove of the heat transport medium is Is easy to vary. Therefore, a spacer is provided between the adjacent element blocks to secure a flow path in the reciprocating direction of the heat transport medium even if the flow path grooves of the adjacent element blocks are misaligned. Since the spacer occupies a part of the working chamber of the container, it inhibits an increase in the filling amount of the magnetocaloric element in the working chamber. However, if the spacers are eliminated, the flow path grooves are displaced in the plate stacking direction due to the dimensional variation of the element plate, for example, the flow path grooves of the adjacent element blocks do not communicate with each other, and the flow of the heat transport medium does not flow. The road may be blocked.

  The technique disclosed herein has been made in view of the above points, and provides a thermomagnetic cycle device capable of preventing blockage of a flow path of a heat transport medium without interposing a spacer. The purpose is to

In order to achieve the above object, in the disclosed thermomagnetic cycle device,
A magnetocaloric element (12) that generates heat and absorbs heat depending on the strength of an external magnetic field;
A container (21) in which a working chamber (11) in which a magnetocaloric element is arranged is formed;
A magnetic field modulator (13) for modulating an external magnetic field applied to the magnetocaloric element,
A heat transport device (14) for reciprocally moving a heat transport medium that exchanges heat with the magnetocaloric element so as to generate a high temperature end and a low temperature end in the magnetocaloric element,
The magnetocaloric element has a plurality of element blocks (12A, 12B, 12C) arranged in a reciprocating direction (XX) which is a reciprocating direction of a heat transport medium,
Each of the plurality of element blocks is formed by alternately stacking first element plates (121, 221) and second element plates (122, 222),
The first element plate is formed as a flow path groove or a flow path hole extending in the reciprocating direction of the heat transport medium and is capable of circulating the heat transport medium in the reciprocating direction. 521a),
The second element plate is formed as a flow path groove or a flow path hole extending in the reciprocating direction of the heat transport medium, and is capable of circulating the heat transport medium in the reciprocating direction. 522a),
The flow path height dimension (Y2, Y4) in the stacking direction (YY), which is the direction in which the plates of the second flow path forming portion are stacked, is the flow path height dimension (Y1, Y4) in the stacking direction of the first flow path forming portion. It is set larger than Y3),
In the element blocks adjacent to each other in the reciprocating movement direction of the heat transport medium,
One of the adjacent element blocks has the first element plate arranged at one end in the stacking direction,
In the other of the adjacent element blocks, the second element plate is arranged at the end on the same side as the one end in the stacking direction.

  According to this, in the adjacent element blocks, the first element plate and the second element plate are adjacent to each other. The flow passage height dimension of the second flow passage forming portion formed on the second element plate is larger than the flow passage height dimension of the first flow passage forming portion formed on the first element plate. Therefore, even if the first flow path forming portion and the second flow path forming portion are misaligned in the plate stacking direction between the element blocks, the end opening in the heat transport medium reciprocating direction of the first flow path forming portion, It is difficult to deviate from the end opening range of the second flow path forming portion. Therefore, the first flow path forming unit and the second flow path forming unit can be communicated with each other. In this way, it is possible to prevent blockage of the flow path of the heat transport medium without providing a spacer between the adjacent element blocks.

  It should be noted that reference numerals in parentheses in the claims and this section indicate correspondence with specific means described in the embodiments described later as one aspect, and limit the scope of the disclosed technology. Not a thing.

It is a block diagram of the thermal equipment which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the container containing the magneto-caloric element of 1st Embodiment. It is a flow path cross-sectional view of the first element plate of the first embodiment. It is a flow path orthogonal cross-sectional view of the second element plate of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view orthogonal to one flow path of adjacent element blocks of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view orthogonal to the other flow path of the adjacent element blocks of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the magneto-caloric device of the first embodiment along the heat transport medium reciprocating direction and the plate stacking direction. It is a flow path cross-sectional view of the 1st element plate of a 2nd embodiment. It is a flow path orthogonal sectional view of the 2nd element plate of a 2nd embodiment. It is one channel orthogonal cross-sectional view of the adjacent element block of 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing orthogonal to the other flow path of the adjacent element block of 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing along the heat transport medium reciprocating direction of the magnetocaloric element of 2nd Embodiment, and a plate extension direction. It is a flow path cross-sectional view of the 1st element plate of other embodiments. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a second element plate, which is laminated with the first element plate of FIG. 14 according to another embodiment, orthogonal to the flow path. It is a flow path cross-sectional view of the 1st element plate of other embodiments. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a second element plate, which is laminated with the first element plate of FIG. 16 according to another embodiment, orthogonal to the flow path. It is a flow path cross-sectional view of the 1st element plate of other embodiments. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a second element plate, which is laminated on the first element plate of FIG. 18 and is orthogonal to the flow path, of another embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of modes for carrying out the disclosed technology will be described with reference to the drawings. In each mode, parts corresponding to the matters described in the preceding mode may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. In the case where only a part of the configuration is described in each mode, the other parts of the configuration are the same as those described above. Not only the combination of the parts specifically described in the respective embodiments, but also the embodiments can be partially combined with each other as long as the combination does not cause any problems.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment to which the disclosed technology is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle air conditioner 1 to which the disclosed technology is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle air conditioner 1 includes a magnetocaloric effect heat pump device 10. The magnetocaloric effect heat pump device 10 is also called a MHP (Magneto-caloric effect Heat Pump) device 10. The MHP device 10 is also called a magnetic heat pump device 10. The MHP device 10 provides a thermomagnetic cycle device.

  In this specification, the term heat pump device is used in a broad sense. That is, the term “heat pump device” includes both a device that uses cold heat obtained by the heat pump device and a device that uses warm heat obtained by the heat pump device. A device that uses cold heat is sometimes called a refrigeration cycle device. Therefore, in this specification, the term heat pump device is used as a concept including a refrigeration cycle device.

  The MHP device 10 includes a magnetocaloric element 12. The magnetocaloric element 12 is made of a magnetic working material having a magnetocaloric effect, and is also called an MCE (Magneto-Caloric Effect) element 12. Hereinafter, the magnetocaloric element 12 may be referred to as the MCE element 12 or the magnetic working material 12.

  The MHP device 10 includes a container 21 in which a work chamber 11 is formed. The container 21 is arranged in the housing 20 and defines at least one working chamber 11. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical container 21 partitions and forms a plurality of work chambers 11 arranged at equal intervals. In this example, one container 21 divides and forms six work chambers 11, and the MCE element 12 is filled and arranged in each of the six work chambers 11. The container 21 may be referred to as an element bed or a material bed. The container 21 is made of a non-magnetic material such as resin.

  The MCE element 12 generates heat and absorbs heat depending on the strength of the external magnetic field. The MCE element 12 generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied, and absorbs heat when the external magnetic field is removed. In the MCE element 12, when an external magnetic field is applied and the electron spins are aligned in the magnetic field direction, the magnetic entropy decreases, and heat is released to raise the temperature. Further, in the MCE element 12, when the external magnetic field is removed and the electron spin becomes disordered, the magnetic entropy increases, and the temperature is lowered by absorbing heat. The MCE element 12 is made of a magnetic material that exhibits a high magnetocaloric effect in the normal temperature range. For example, a gadolinium-based material or a lanthanum-iron-silicon compound can be used. Also, a mixture of manganese, iron, phosphorus and germanium can be used.

  The group of MCE elements 12 has a plurality of portions arranged along the longitudinal direction of the MCE elements 12, that is, the flow direction of the primary medium. The plurality of parts are a plurality of element blocks described later. The Curie temperatures of the materials forming each of the plurality of portions are different. The plurality of portions exert a high magnetocaloric effect (ΔS (J / kgK)) in different temperature zones. The portion near the high temperature end has a material composition that exhibits a high magnetocaloric effect in the vicinity of the temperature that appears at the high temperature end in a steady operation state. The part close to the middle temperature part has a material composition that exhibits a high magnetocaloric effect in the vicinity of the temperature appearing in the middle temperature part in a steady operation state. The portion near the low temperature end has a material composition that exhibits a high magnetocaloric effect in the vicinity of the temperature that appears at the low temperature end in a steady operation state.

  The temperature zone where each part of the MCE element 12 exhibits a high magnetocaloric effect is called a high efficiency temperature zone. The upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature of the high efficiency temperature band depend on the material composition of the MCE element 12 and the like. The plurality of portions are arranged in series such that the high efficiency temperature zones are arranged between the high temperature end and the low temperature end. In other words, the high-efficiency temperature zones of the plurality of parts show a distribution that gradually decreases from the high temperature end between the high temperature end and the low temperature end. The distribution in the high-efficiency temperature zone substantially corresponds to the temperature distribution between the high temperature end and the low temperature end in the steady state.

  In this embodiment, a plurality of parts share the steady temperature difference created between the high temperature end and the low temperature end in the steady operation. This results in high efficiency in each part. In other words, the MCE element 12 is adjusted so that each element unit exhibits a magnetocaloric effect exceeding a predetermined threshold value when a steady temperature difference is obtained. When the temperature of each part of the MCE element 12 deviates from the high efficiency temperature zone, that part cannot exhibit high efficiency. As a result, the efficiency of the entire MCE element 12 also decreases.

  The MHP device 10 utilizes the magnetocaloric effect of the MCE element 12. The MHP device 10 includes a magnetic field modulator 13 and a heat transport device 14 for causing the MCE element 12 to function as an AMR (Active Magnetic Refrigeration) cycle.

  The magnetic field modulator 13 applies an external magnetic field to the MCE element 12 and increases or decreases the strength of the external magnetic field. The magnetic field modulator 13 periodically switches between an excited state in which the MCE element 12 is placed in a strong magnetic field and a demagnetized state in which the MCE element 12 is placed in a weak magnetic field or a zero magnetic field. The magnetic field modulator 13 modulates the external magnetic field so as to periodically repeat an excitation period in which the MCE element 12 is placed in a strong external magnetic field and a demagnetization period in which the MCE element 12 is placed in an external magnetic field weaker than the excitation period. To do. The magnetic field modulation device 13 includes a magnetic force source for generating an external magnetic field, for example, a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. In this example, the magnetic force source is a permanent magnet.

  The heat transport device 14 includes a fluid device for flowing a heat transport medium for transporting the heat that the MCE element 12 radiates or absorbs. The heat transport device 14 is a device that causes a heat transport medium that exchanges heat with the MCE element 12 to flow along the MCE element 12. The heat transport device 14 causes the heat transport medium to flow in the MCE element 12 so as to generate a high temperature end and a low temperature end. The heat transport device 14 generates reciprocal flows FM and FN of the heat transport medium in synchronization with the change of the external magnetic field by the magnetic field modulator 13. Hereinafter, the flow FM from one end to the other end of the MCE element 12 may be called an outflow, and the flow FN from the other end to one end may be called a return flow. In this example, the outflow FM is a heat transport medium flow from the high temperature end 11E1 toward the low temperature end 11E2. The return flow FN is a heat transport medium flow from the low temperature end 11E2 toward the high temperature end 11E1. Hereinafter, the high temperature end 11E1 may be referred to as the end 11E1. In addition, the low temperature end 11E2 may be referred to as an end 11E2.

  In this embodiment, the heat transport medium that exchanges heat with the MCE element 12 is called the primary medium. The primary medium can be provided by a fluid such as antifreeze, water or oil. The heat transport device 14 reciprocally moves the heat transport medium in synchronization with the increase and decrease of the magnetic field by the magnetic field modulator 13. The heat transport device 14 may include a pump for flowing the heat transport medium. The heat transport device 14 includes pumps 62 and 72 for flowing the primary medium. The heat transport device 14 includes a suction valve 111 and a discharge valve 112 provided at both ends of each working chamber 11. The pumps 62 and 72 cooperate with the suction valve 111 and the discharge valve 112 to supply the reciprocating flow of the primary medium with respect to one MCE element 12 filled in each of the working chambers 11. One MCE element 12 is provided by combining a plurality of element blocks.

  The MHP device 10 includes a motor 15 as a power source. The motor 15 is a power source of the magnetic field modulator 13. The motor 15 is a power source of the heat transport device 14. The motor 15 provided as a power source of the MHP device 10 is driven by, for example, a vehicle-mounted battery. Further, the motor 15 rotationally drives the rotor core 31 that provides the magnetic field modulator 13. As a result, the motor 15 and the magnetic field modulator 13 cause periodic alternating switching between the state in which the external magnetic field is applied to the MCE element 12 and the state in which the external magnetic field is removed from the MCE element 12. The motor 15 drives the pumps 62 and 72 of the heat transport device 14. As a result, the motor 15 and the pumps 62 and 72 cause a reciprocal flow of the primary medium in one MCE element 12. The MHP device 10 includes a speed change mechanism 18 on the output shaft of the motor 15 so as to synchronize the increase and decrease of the magnetic field by the magnetic field modulator 13 and the reciprocal movement of the heat transport medium by the heat transport device 14.

  The pumps 62 and 72 generate reciprocating flows FM and FN of the primary medium in the working chamber 11 for causing the MCE element 12 to function as an AMR cycle. The pumps 62 and 72 are, for example, positive displacement pumps. The pumps 62 and 72 are piston pumps, for example. The pumps 62 and 72 are, for example, multi-cylinder radial piston pumps. One cylinder of the pump 62 and one cylinder of the pump 72 are associated with one MCE element 12. The two cylinders associated with one MCE element 12 operate synchronously. The functions of the pumps 62 and 72, the suction valve 111, and the discharge valve 112 provide the reciprocating flows FM and FN of the primary medium flowing along the longitudinal direction of one MCE element 12. In this embodiment, the MHP device 10 includes a plurality of MCE elements 12 that are thermally connected in parallel. The MHP device 10 of this example has six MCE elements 12 thermally connected in parallel. The pumps 62 and 72 have 6 cylinders.

  The housing 20 is a casing having an outer cylindrical shape having a cylindrical portion and an end plate portion. The housing 20 rotatably supports a rotating shaft 22 on its central axis. The rotary shaft 22 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 15. The housing 20 houses the magnetic field modulator 13 around the rotation shaft 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the magnetic field modulator 13 includes a rotor core 31, a yoke portion 32, a bearing 33, and magnets 34 and 35.

  The rotor core 31 is fixed to the rotating shaft 22. The rotor core 31 provides an inner yoke for the magnetic field modulator 13. The rotor core 31 is configured to form a range in which magnetic flux easily passes and a range in which magnetic flux hardly passes along the circumferential direction. The rotor core 31 is composed of, for example, a pair of members having a fan-shaped cross section. A magnet 34 is fixed to the rotor core 31. The magnet 34 has a partially cylindrical shape, and its cross section is fan-shaped. The magnet 34 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotor core 31.

  The yoke portion 32 has a cylindrical shape. The yoke portion 32 is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 20. The yoke portion 32 is rotatably held on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 20 by a bearing 33 that is a holding mechanism. The bearing 33 is, for example, a ball bearing. The yoke portion 32 provides an outer yoke. A magnet 35 is fixed to the yoke portion 32.

  In the magnetic field modulator 13, the rotor core 31 and the magnet 34 are arranged on the inner peripheral side of the container 21. Further, in the magnetic field modulator 13, the yoke portion 32, the bearing 33 and the magnet 35 are arranged on the outer peripheral side of the container 21. The magnet 34 is a first magnet arranged on one side of the container 21. The magnet 35 is a second magnet arranged on the other side of the container 21. The magnet 34 and the magnet 35 are arranged on opposite sides of the inside and outside of the container 21 so that different poles face each other. The magnet 34 and the magnet 35 are arranged inside and outside in the radial direction to supply a strong magnetic field to the MCE element 12 positioned between them. A rare earth magnet such as a ferrite magnet or a neodymium magnet can be used for the magnets 34 and 35.

  When the rotating shaft 22 is rotated by the motor 15, in the magnetic field modulation device 13, the magnet 34 rotates together with the rotor core 31. Further, with the rotational movement of the magnet 34, the magnet 35 facing the magnet 34 follows and moves due to the attraction force acting between the magnets, and the yoke portion 32 rotates. As a result, the configuration including the rotor core 31, the yoke portion 32, the magnet 34, and the magnet 35 serves as the magnetic field modulator 13 that periodically provides the MCE element 12 with strong excitation and demagnetization. The configuration including the rotor core 31, the yoke portion 32, the magnet 34, and the magnet 35 is the magnetic circuit portion 13A in the present embodiment. The magnetic circuit unit 13A is a relative moving body that moves relative to the container 21. The magnetic field modulator 13 modulates the magnetic field applied to the MCE element 12 by relatively moving the container 21 and the magnetic circuit unit 13A in the direction along the outer surface of the container 21.

  Although the yoke portion 32 is held on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 20 by the bearing 33, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be retained via a lubricating oil layer or an air layer.

  The container 21 and the magnet 34 are arranged so as to be separated from each other so that even if the magnet 34 rotates together with the rotor core 31, it does not interfere with the container 21. A gap 23 is formed between the inner peripheral side surface on the inner peripheral side of the outer surface of the container 21 and the outer peripheral side surface on the outer peripheral side of the outer surface of the magnet 34. On the other hand, the container 21 and the magnet 35 are also arranged apart from each other so that even if the magnet 35 and the yoke portion 32 rotate following the magnet 34, they do not interfere with the container 21. A gap 24 is formed between the outer peripheral surface on the outer peripheral side of the outer surface of the container 21 and the inner peripheral side surface on the inner peripheral side of the outer surface of the magnet 35.

  The MHP apparatus 10 includes a high temperature system 16 that transports the high temperature heat obtained by the MHP apparatus 10. The high temperature system 16 is also a thermal device that uses the heat obtained by the MHP device 10. The MHP apparatus 10 includes a low temperature system 17 that transports the low temperature cold energy obtained by the MHP apparatus 10. The low temperature system 17 is also a thermal device that uses the cold heat obtained by the MHP device 10.

  The high temperature system 16 includes a passage 61 through which the primary medium is circulated. The high temperature system 16 includes a heat exchanger 63 that provides heat exchange between the primary medium and another medium. For example, the heat exchanger 63 provides heat exchange between the primary medium and air. The high temperature system 16 uses the heat output from the high temperature end 11E1 of the MHP device 10 to radiate heat from the heat exchanger 63 and heat the external medium. The high temperature system 16 discharges the heat output from the high temperature end 11E1 of the MHP device 10 to the external medium by the heat exchanger 63.

  The low temperature system 17 includes a passage 71 through which the primary medium is circulated. The low temperature system 17 includes a heat exchanger 73 that provides heat exchange between the primary medium and another medium. For example, the heat exchanger 73 provides heat exchange between the primary medium and air. The high temperature system 16 uses the cold heat output from the low temperature end 11E2 of the MHP device 10 to absorb heat in the heat exchanger 63 and cool the external medium. It can be said that the low temperature system 17 releases the cold heat output from the low temperature end 11E2 of the MHP device 10 to the external medium by the heat exchanger 73.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the work chamber 11 in the container 21 is provided with an MCE element 12 including a block group in which a plurality of element blocks are arranged. In FIG. 3, a portion of the container 21 corresponding to one working chamber 11 is illustrated. In the figure, element blocks 12A, 12B and 12C of the block group are shown. The number of element blocks arranged in one working chamber 11 is not limited to three. The number of element blocks arranged in one working chamber 11 may be two, or may be four or more.

  Each of the element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C is configured by laminating element plates that are element pieces. As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of element blocks are arranged in the XX direction which is the reciprocal movement direction of the heat transport medium. The element plates of each element block are stacked in the YY direction orthogonal to the reciprocating direction of the heat transport medium. Hereinafter, the reciprocating direction of the heat transport medium may be simply referred to as the XX direction. In addition, the stacking direction of the element plates may be simply referred to as the YY direction. Further, the orthogonal direction orthogonal to both the XX direction and the YY direction may be referred to as the ZZ direction. The ZZ direction is also the passing direction of the lines of magnetic force by the magnetic field modulator 13.

  Each of the element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C has a first element plate 121, a second element plate 122, and an end element plate 123. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a sectional shape of the first element plate 121 orthogonal to the XX direction. The first element plate 121 is formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape. The first element plate 121 has one passage groove 121a formed in a concave shape on one wide surface. The flow path groove 121a is a groove having a rectangular cross-section and extends along the XX direction. The flow channel 121a is formed so that the same cross-sectional shape is continuous in the XX direction. The flow channel 121a is open at both ends in the XX direction. The flow channel 121a corresponds to the first flow channel forming portion in this embodiment.

  FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a sectional shape of the second element plate 122 orthogonal to the XX direction. Like the first element plate 121, the second element plate 122 is formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape. The second element plate 122 has one flow channel groove 122a formed in a concave shape on one wide surface. The channel groove 122a is formed at a position corresponding to the channel groove 121a of the first element plate 121. The flow path groove 122a is a groove having a rectangular cross section and extends along the XX direction. The flow channel 122a is formed so that the same cross-sectional shape is continuous in the XX direction. The flow path groove 122a is open at both ends in the XX direction. The flow path groove 122a corresponds to the second flow path forming portion in this embodiment.

  The outer shape of the second element plate 122 is the same as the outer shape of the first element plate 121. The set value of the plate thickness of the second element plate 122 is the same as the set value of the plate thickness of the first element plate 121. The flow path height dimension Y2 of the flow path groove 122a in the YY direction is set to be larger than the flow path height dimension Y1 of the flow path groove 121a in the YY direction. In this example, the channel width dimension Z1 of the channel groove 121a in the ZZ direction and the channel width dimension Z2 of the channel groove 122a in the ZZ direction are set to be the same.

  The flow path height dimension Y1 of the first element plate 121 is set to, for example, 15 to 25% of the plate thickness of the first element plate 121. The flow passage height dimension Y2 of the second element plate 122 is set to, for example, 120 to 150% of the flow passage height dimension Y1. The channel grooves 121a and 122a can be formed by removing a part of a rectangular parallelepiped element plate. As the removing process, wire cutting process, cutting process, grinding process or the like can be adopted. The formation of the flow channel grooves 121a and 122a is not limited to the removal processing, and may be formed in advance when the element plate is formed, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the element block 12A, first element plates 121 and second element plates 122 are alternately laminated. A first element plate 121 is arranged at one end of the element block 12A in the lower direction in the YY direction, and an alternating laminated structure of first and second element plates 121 and 122 is formed above the first element plate 121 in the figure. A plate-shaped end element plate 123 is arranged at the other end of the element block 12A above the drawing. The element block 12A partitions and forms a plurality of flow paths between the stacked plates. A plurality of flow passage openings provided by a plurality of flow passage grooves 121a and 122a are opened at both ends in the XX direction of the element block 12A.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the element block 12B, first element plates 121 and second element plates 122 are alternately laminated. The second element plate 122 is arranged at one end of the element block 12B in the YY direction on the lower side in the drawing, and the alternating laminated structure of the first and second element plates 121 and 122 is formed on the upper side in the drawing. A plate-shaped end element plate 123 is arranged at the other end of the element block 12B above the drawing. The element block 12B partitions and forms a plurality of flow paths between the stacked plates. A plurality of flow passage openings provided by the plurality of flow passage grooves 121a and 122a are opened at both ends in the XX direction of the element block 12B.

  The element block 12C has the same configuration as the element block 12A. As shown in FIG. 3, the element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C are arranged so that the end element plates 123 are arranged at the end portions on the same side. That is, in the element blocks adjacent to each other in the XX direction, the first element plate 121 is arranged at one end in the YY direction of one of the adjacent element blocks, and the other of the adjacent element blocks is the end of the same side in the YY direction. The second element plate 122 is disposed in the section.

  The first element plate 121 and the second element plate 122 have an extremely thin plate shape. Therefore, the first element plate 121 and the second element plate 122 are likely to be bent during processing. The first and second element plates 121 and 122 are particularly liable to bend when forming the flow channels 121a and 122a, and the dimensions of each part including the flow channels 121a and 122a are likely to vary with respect to a preset target value. . In the element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C formed by stacking the first and second element plates 121 and 122, the positions of the flow passage grooves 121a and 122a easily vary from the preset target position.

  FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C along the XX direction and the YY direction. As shown in FIG. 8, in the arrayed element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C, even if the positions of the flow channel grooves 121a and 122a vary, the flow channel grooves of the adjacent element blocks surely communicate with each other.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the vehicle air conditioner 1 is mounted on a vehicle and adjusts the temperature of a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The two heat exchangers 63 and 73 provide a part of the vehicle air conditioner 1. The heat exchanger 63 is a high temperature side heat exchanger that has a higher temperature than the heat exchanger 73. The heat exchanger 73 is a low temperature side heat exchanger having a temperature lower than that of the heat exchanger 63. The vehicle air conditioner 1 includes air system equipment such as an air conditioning duct and a blower for utilizing the heat exchanger 63 on the high temperature side and / or the heat exchanger 73 on the low temperature side for indoor air conditioning.

  The vehicle air conditioner 1 is used as a cooling device or a heating device. The vehicle air conditioner 1 can include a cooler that cools the air supplied to the room and a heater that heats the air cooled by the cooler again. The MHP device 10 is used as a cold heat supply source or a hot heat supply source in the vehicle air conditioner 1. That is, the heat exchanger 63 can be used as the heater. Further, the heat exchanger 73 can be used as the cooler.

  When the MHP device 10 is used as a heat source, the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 63 is supplied to the interior of the vehicle and used for heating. The air that has passed through the heat exchanger 73 is discharged to the outside of the vehicle. At this time, the heat exchanger 63 is also called an indoor heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 73 is also called an outdoor heat exchanger.

  When the MHP device 10 is used as a cold heat source, the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 73 is supplied to the inside of the vehicle and used for cooling. The air that has passed through the heat exchanger 63 is discharged outside the vehicle. At this time, the heat exchanger 63 is also called an outdoor heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 73 is also called an indoor heat exchanger.

  Further, the MHP device 10 may be used as a dehumidifying device. In this case, the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 73 then passes through the heat exchanger 63 and is supplied indoors. The MHP device 10 is used as a heat source in winter as well as in summer.

  The MHP device 10 of the present embodiment includes an MCE element 12, a container 21, a magnetic field modulation device 13, and a heat transport device 14. The MCE element 12 generates heat and absorbs heat depending on the strength of the external magnetic field. The container 21 forms the working chamber 11 in which the MCE element 12 is placed. The magnetic field modulator 13 modulates the external magnetic field applied to the MCE element 12. The heat transport device 14 reciprocates the heat transport medium that exchanges heat with the MCE element 12 so as to generate a high temperature end and a low temperature end in the MCE element 12.

  The MCE element 12 is configured by arranging a plurality of element blocks 12A, 12B, 12C in a reciprocating movement direction which is a reciprocating movement direction of a heat transport medium. Each of the plurality of element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C has first element plates 121 and second element plates 122 alternately stacked. The first element plate 121 has a first flow path forming portion formed as a flow path groove 121a extending in the reciprocating movement direction of the heat transport medium and capable of circulating the heat transport medium in the reciprocating movement direction. The second element plate 122 has a second flow path forming portion which is formed as a flow path groove 122a extending in the reciprocating movement direction of the heat transport medium and through which the heat transport medium can flow in the reciprocating movement direction. The flow path height dimension Y2 of the flow path groove 122a that is the second flow path forming portion in the plate stacking direction is larger than the flow path height dimension Y1 of the flow path groove 121a that is the first flow path forming portion in the plate stacking direction. It is set large.

  In the element blocks adjacent to each other in the reciprocating direction of the heat transport medium, one of the adjacent element blocks has the first element plate 121 arranged at one end in the plate stacking direction. In the other of the adjacent element blocks, the second element plate 122 is arranged at the end on the same side as the one end in the plate stacking direction.

  According to this, in the adjacent element blocks, the first element plate 121 and the second element plate 122 are adjacent to each other in the XX direction. The flow path height dimension Y2 of the flow path groove 122a formed in the second element plate 122 is larger than the flow path height dimension Y1 of the flow path groove 121a formed in the first element plate 121. Therefore, even if the flow path groove 121a and the flow path groove 122a are misaligned in the plate stacking direction between the element blocks, the end opening of the flow path groove 121a is less likely to deviate from the end opening range of the flow path groove 122a. The channel groove 121a and the channel groove 122a can be communicated with each other. In this way, it is possible to prevent blockage of the flow path of the heat transport medium without providing a spacer between the adjacent element blocks.

  When a spacer is provided between the adjacent element blocks, the heat transport medium flow passage cross-sectional area rapidly expands and contracts at the spacer insertion site. A sudden change in the flow passage cross-sectional area increases the pressure loss. When a spacer is used for a magnetocaloric element having a multi-stage element block, the system operation efficiency is reduced due to an increase in pressure loss. According to the configuration in which the spacer is not used as in the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress a decrease in operating efficiency.

  In addition, the second element plate 122 has the same number of second flow passage formation portions as the first flow passage formation portions, corresponding to the first flow passage formation portions of the first element plate 121. According to this, it is easy to arrange the second flow path forming unit corresponding to the first flow path forming unit and to communicate the first flow path forming unit and the second flow path forming unit.

  In addition, the first flow path forming portion and the second flow path forming portion are flow path grooves 121a and 122a having a rectangular flow path cross-sectional shape. According to this, it is easy to form the first flow path forming portion and the second flow path forming portion on each element plate.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 9 to 13.

  The second embodiment is different from the above-described first embodiment in the configuration of the first flow path forming unit and the second flow path forming unit. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The components denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the drawings according to the first embodiment and the other configurations not described in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment and have the same operational effects.

  Each of the element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C of this embodiment has a first element plate 221, a second element plate 222, and an end element plate 123. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of the first element plate 221 orthogonal to the XX direction. The first element plate 221 is formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape. The first element plate 221 has a plurality of flow channel grooves 221a formed in a concave shape on one wide surface. The flow channel 221a is a groove having a rectangular cross section and extends along the XX direction. The flow channel 221a is formed so that the same cross-sectional shape is continuous in the XX direction. The flow channel 221a is open at both ends in the XX direction. The plurality of flow channel grooves 221a are arranged in parallel at a predetermined pitch. The flow channel 221a corresponds to the first flow channel forming portion in this embodiment.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of the second element plate 222 orthogonal to the XX direction. The second element plate 222, like the first element plate 221, is formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape. The second element plate 222 has a plurality of flow channel grooves 222a formed in a concave shape on one wide surface. The flow channel groove 222a is a groove having a rectangular cross section and extends along the XX direction. The channel grooves 222a are formed so that the same cross-sectional shape is continuous in the XX direction. The flow path groove 222a is open at both ends in the XX direction. The plurality of flow channel grooves 222a are arranged in parallel with the plurality of flow channel grooves 221a at the same pitch. Each flow path groove 222a is formed at a position corresponding to the flow path groove 221a of the first element plate 221. The flow path groove 222a corresponds to the second flow path forming portion in this embodiment.

  The outer shape of the second element plate 222 is the same as the outer shape of the first element plate 221. The set value of the plate thickness of the second element plate 222 is the same as the set value of the plate thickness of the first element plate 221. The flow path height dimension Y4 of the flow path groove 222a in the YY direction is set to be larger than the flow path height dimension Y3 of the flow path groove 221a in the YY direction. Further, the flow channel width dimension Z4 of the flow channel groove 222a in the ZZ direction is set to be larger than the flow channel width dimension Z3 of the flow channel groove 221a in the ZZ direction.

  The flow path height dimension Y3 of the first element plate 221 is set to, for example, 15 to 25% of the plate thickness of the first element plate 221. The flow path height dimension Y4 of the second element plate 222 is set to, for example, 120 to 150% of the flow path height dimension Y3. The flow passage width dimension Z4 of the second element plate 222 is set to, for example, 110 to 150% of the flow passage width dimension Z3. The flow channel width dimension Z4 is preferably set to 115 to 130% of the flow channel width dimension Z3. The flow channel 221a, 222a can be formed by the same manufacturing method as the flow channel 121a, 122a.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the element block 12A of the present embodiment, first element plates 221 and second element plates 222 are alternately laminated. A first element plate 221 is arranged at one end of the element block 12A on the lower side in the YY direction in the drawing, and an alternating laminated structure of the first and second element plates 221 and 222 is formed on the upper side in the drawing. A plate-shaped end element plate 123 is arranged at the other end of the element block 12A above the drawing. The element block 12A partitions and forms a plurality of flow paths between the stacked plates. A plurality of flow passage openings provided by a plurality of flow passage grooves 221a and 222a are opened at both ends in the XX direction of the element block 12A.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the element block 12B of the present embodiment, first element plates 221 and second element plates 222 are alternately laminated. The second element plate 222 is arranged at one end of the element block 12B in the YY direction on the lower side in the drawing, and the alternating laminated structure of the first and second element plates 221 and 222 is formed on the upper side in the drawing. A plate-shaped end element plate 123 is arranged at the other end of the element block 12B above the drawing. The element block 12B partitions and forms a plurality of flow paths between the stacked plates. A plurality of flow passage openings provided by a plurality of flow passage grooves 221a and 222a are opened at both ends in the XX direction of the element block 12B.

  Also in this embodiment, the element block 12C has the same configuration as the element block 12A described above. The element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C of the present embodiment are arranged such that the end element plates 123 are arranged at the ends on the same side as in the first embodiment. That is, of the element blocks adjacent to each other in the XX direction, the first element plate 221 is arranged at one end in the YY direction of one of the adjacent element blocks, and the other of the adjacent element blocks is the end of the same side in the YY direction. The second element plate 222 is disposed in the portion.

  The first element plate 221 and the second element plate 222 are extremely thin plates. Therefore, the first element plate 221 and the second element plate 222 are likely to be bent or the like during processing. The first and second element plates 221 and 222 are easily bent especially when forming the flow channel grooves 221a and 222a, and the dimensions of each part including the flow channel grooves 221a and 222a are likely to vary from a preset target value. . In the element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C formed by stacking the first and second element plates 221 and 222, the positions of the flow path grooves 221a and 222a easily vary from the preset target position.

  FIG. 13 shows a cross section of the element blocks 12A, 12B, 12C along the XX direction and the ZZ direction. As shown in FIG. 13, in the arrayed element blocks 12A, 12B, and 12C, even if the positions of the flow path grooves 221a and 222a vary, the flow path grooves of the adjacent element blocks are surely communicated with each other.

  The MCE element 12 of the present embodiment is configured by arranging a plurality of element blocks 12A, 12B, 12C in a reciprocating movement direction which is a reciprocating movement direction of a heat transport medium. In each of the plurality of element blocks 12A, 12B, 12C, first element plates 221 and second element plates 222 are alternately laminated. The first element plate 221 has a first flow path forming portion formed as a flow path groove 221a extending in the reciprocating movement direction of the heat transport medium and capable of circulating the heat transport medium in the reciprocating movement direction. The second element plate 222 has a second flow path forming portion which is formed as a flow path groove 222a extending in the reciprocating movement direction of the heat transport medium and through which the heat transport medium can flow in the reciprocating movement direction. The flow path height dimension Y4 of the flow path groove 222a that is the second flow path forming portion in the plate stacking direction is larger than the flow path height dimension Y3 of the flow path groove 221a that is the first flow path forming portion in the plate stacking direction. It is set large.

  Then, in the element blocks adjacent to each other in the reciprocating direction of the heat transport medium, one of the adjacent element blocks has the first element plate 221 arranged at one end in the plate stacking direction. In the other of the adjacent element blocks, the second element plate 222 is arranged at the end on the same side as the one end in the plate stacking direction.

  According to this, in the adjacent element blocks, the first element plate 221 and the second element plate 222 are adjacent to each other in the XX direction. The flow channel height dimension Y4 of the flow channel groove 222a formed in the second element plate 222 is larger than the flow channel height dimension Y3 of the flow channel groove 221a formed in the first element plate 221. Therefore, even if the flow path groove 221a and the flow path groove 222a are misaligned in the plate stacking direction between the element blocks, the end opening of the flow path groove 221a is unlikely to deviate from the end opening range of the flow path groove 222a. The channel groove 221a and the channel groove 222a can be communicated with each other. In this way, it is possible to prevent blockage of the flow path of the heat transport medium without providing a spacer between the adjacent element blocks.

  The flow channel width dimension Z4 in the ZZ direction orthogonal to the plate stacking direction and the heat transport medium reciprocating direction of the flow channel groove 222a that is the second flow channel forming portion is the flow channel groove 221a that is the first flow channel forming portion. Is set to be larger than the flow passage width dimension Z3 in the ZZ direction.

  According to this, in the adjacent element blocks, the first element plate 221 and the second element plate 222 are adjacent to each other. The flow channel width dimension Z4 of the flow channel groove 222a formed in the second element plate 222 is larger than the flow channel width dimension Z3 of the flow channel groove 221a formed in the first element plate 221. Therefore, even if the flow path groove 221a and the flow path groove 222a are misaligned in the direction orthogonal to the plate stacking direction between the element blocks, the end opening of the flow path groove 221a in the reciprocating movement direction of the heat transport medium does not flow. It is difficult for the passage groove 222a to come off the end opening range. In this way, it is possible to reliably prevent the passage of the heat transport medium from being blocked even if no spacer is provided between the adjacent element blocks.

  Further, the second element plate 222 has the same number of second flow passage formation portions as the first flow passage formation portions, corresponding to the first flow passage formation portions included in the first element plate 221. According to this, it is easy to arrange the second flow path forming unit corresponding to the first flow path forming unit and to communicate the first flow path forming unit and the second flow path forming unit.

  Further, the first element plate 221 has a plurality of first flow path forming portions, and the second element plate 222 has a plurality of second flow path forming portions. Then, the second element plate 222 corresponds to the first channel forming section of the first element plate 221, and the plurality of second channel forming sections provided at the same pitch as the plurality of first channel forming sections. have. According to this, the second flow path forming unit is arranged corresponding to each of the plurality of first flow path forming units, and the plurality of first flow path forming units and the plurality of second flow path forming units are communicated with each other. You can

  Further, both the first flow path forming portion and the second flow path forming portion are flow path grooves 221a and 222a having a rectangular flow path cross-sectional shape. According to this, it is easy to form the first flow path forming portion and the second flow path forming portion on each element plate.

(Other embodiments)
The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the embodiment for carrying out the disclosed technology, and can be variously modified and implemented. The disclosed technology is not limited to the combinations shown in the embodiments, and can be implemented by various combinations. Embodiments can have additional parts. Parts of the embodiment may be omitted. Portions of the embodiments may be replaced or combined with portions of other embodiments. The structure, operation, and effect of the embodiment are merely examples. The technical scope of the disclosed technology is not limited to the description of the embodiments. The technical scope of some of the disclosed technology is shown by the description of the claims, and should be understood to include meaning equivalent to the description of the claims and all modifications within the scope. .

  In the second embodiment, the flow passage width dimension Z4 of the flow passage groove 222a formed in the second element plate 222 is made larger than the flow passage width dimension Z3 of the flow passage groove 221a formed in the first element plate 221. Although it has been set, it is not limited to this. The flow channel width dimension Z4 of the flow channel groove 222a may be the same as the flow channel width dimension Z3 of the flow channel groove 221a.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the first and second flow path forming portions are both flow path grooves having a rectangular cross section, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the first flow path forming portion of the first element plate 221 is a flow path groove 321a having a triangular cross section, and as shown in FIG. The two flow path forming portions may be flow path grooves 322a having a triangular cross section. It is sufficient that the flow path height dimension of the flow path groove 322a in the YY direction is set to be larger than the flow path height dimension of the flow path groove 321a in the YY direction. It is further preferable that the flow channel width dimension of the flow channel groove 322a in the ZZ direction is set larger than the flow channel width dimension of the flow channel groove 321a in the ZZ direction.

  Further, the first and second flow path forming portions are not limited to the flow path grooves. The first and second flow path forming portions may be flow path holes formed as through holes extending in the XX direction in the first and second element plates. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the first flow path forming portion is a flow path hole 421a having a circular cross-sectional shape, and as shown in FIG. 17, the second flow path forming portion is a flow path having a circular cross-sectional shape. The hole 422a may be used. The diameter dimension of the flow path hole 422a may be set larger than the diameter dimension of the flow path hole 421a. That is, the flow path height dimension of the flow path hole 422a in the YY direction is set larger than the flow path height dimension of the flow path hole 421a in the YY direction, and the flow path width dimension of the flow path hole 422a in the ZZ direction is It may be set larger than the flow channel width dimension of the flow channel hole 421a in the ZZ direction.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the first flow path forming portion is a flow path hole 521a having an elliptical cross-sectional shape, and as shown in FIG. 19, the second flow path forming portion has an oval cross-sectional shape. The flow path hole 522a may have a shape. The flow path height dimension of the flow path hole 522a in the YY direction may be set larger than the flow path height dimension of the flow path hole 521a in the YY direction. It is further preferable that the flow channel width dimension of the flow channel hole 522a in the ZZ direction is set larger than the flow channel width dimension of the flow channel hole 521a in the ZZ direction.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the second flow path forming portion having a cross-sectional shape substantially similar to that of the first flow path forming portion is provided corresponding to the first flow path forming portion, but the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. The cross-sectional shape of the first flow path forming portion and the cross-sectional shape of the second flow path forming portion may not be similar shapes.

  In addition, in the above-described second embodiment and the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 19, the plurality of first flow path forming portions are formed at a predetermined pitch, and the plurality of second flow path forming portions are also at the same predetermined pitch. However, it is not limited to this. The first and second flow path forming portions may be formed at unequal pitches as long as a plurality of second flow path forming portions are provided corresponding to the plurality of first flow path forming portions. .

  Further, in the second embodiment and the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 19, the same number of second flow passage forming portions as the first flow passage forming portions are provided corresponding to the plurality of first flow passage forming portions. Although provided, it is not limited to this. The number of the first flow path forming portions and the number of the second flow path forming portions may be different.

  In the above embodiment, the magnetic field modulator of the magnetic heat pump device is arranged such that the first magnet and the yoke arranged on one side of the container and the different poles of the first magnet and the other magnet on the other side of the container face each other. A second magnet and a yoke that are formed. The drive device is connected to the first magnet and the yoke, and the holding mechanism that holds the second magnet and the yoke so as to rotate following the first magnet and the yoke. However, it is not limited to this.

  For example, an external drive mechanism that externally drives the yoke to which the second magnet is attached may be provided to rotate the second magnet and the yoke following the first magnet and the yoke. The drive source of the external drive mechanism may be a drive device that rotates the yoke to which the first magnet is attached, or a drive device different from the drive device that rotates the yoke to which the first magnet is attached. May be.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the magnetic circuit unit has the magnet 34 that is the first magnet and the magnet 35 that is the second magnet that face each other with the container in between, but the present invention is not limited to this. is not. For example, the magnetic circuit unit may include only the first magnet or the second magnet.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the container 21 which is the element bed is kept stationary and the magnets 34 and 35 are rotated. Alternatively, various configurations may be employed to provide relative rotation between the element bed container 21 and the magnetic field modulator 13. For example, the container, which is an element bed having the working chamber 11 and the MCE element 12, may be rotationally moved relative to the magnetic field modulator including the permanent magnet. Thereby, the magnetic field applied to one MCE element 12 can be changed. In other words, the magnetic field modulation device may move the container in the direction along the outer surface of the container with respect to the relative moving body having the magnet. That is, the container and the relative moving body may be relatively moved in the direction along the outer surface of the container to change the magnitude of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic working substance.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the pumps as the heat transport medium moving device are provided on both sides of the container having the high temperature end and the low temperature end, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a container having a high temperature end and a container having a low temperature end may be arranged on both sides of the pump. Also, the form of the pump is not limited to the type described above.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the magnetic field modulation device includes a magnetic circuit unit having a permanent magnet as a magnetic force source, and relatively moves the magnetic circuit unit and the container to modulate the external magnetic field applied to the magnetic working substance. It was Then, it was explained that the magnetic force source is not limited to the permanent magnet and may be an electromagnet. When the electromagnet is used as the magnetic force source, the magnetic field modulator does not need to perform relative movement between the magnetic circuit unit and the container. When an electromagnet is used, magnetic field modulation is possible without the relative movement of the magnetic circuit unit and the container.

  In the above embodiment, the heat transport medium is supplied to the heat exchangers 63 and 73 outside the MHP device. Instead of this, a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the heat transport medium as the primary medium and the secondary medium may be provided in the MHP device, and the secondary medium may be supplied to the low temperature system and the high temperature system.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the disclosed technology is applied to the vehicle air conditioner. Instead of this, the disclosed technology may be applied to an air conditioner for a moving body such as a ship other than a vehicle or an aircraft. Further, the disclosed technology may be applied to a stationary air conditioner such as a house. Further, it may be used as a water heater for heating water or a chiller for cooling water. Moreover, in the said embodiment, the MHP apparatus which used outdoor air as a main heat source was demonstrated. Alternatively, another heat source such as water or soil may be used as the main heat source.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the MHP apparatus which is one form of a thermomagnetic cycle apparatus is provided. Alternatively, a thermomagnetic engine device, which is one form of the thermomagnetic cycle device, may be provided. For example, a thermomagnetic engine device can be provided by adjusting the phase of the magnetic field change and the flow of the heat transport medium of the MHP device of the above embodiment.

10 Magnetic calorific effect heat pump device (MHP device, magnetic heat pump device)
11 working chamber 12 magnetocaloric element (MCE element, magnetic working substance)
12A, 12B, 12C Element block 13 Magnetic field modulator 14 Heat transport device 21 Container 121, 221 1st element plate 121a, 221a, 321a Channel groove (1st channel forming part)
122, 222 Second element plate 122a, 222a, 322a Channel groove (second channel forming portion)
421a, 521a Channel hole (first channel forming portion)
422a, 522a Channel hole (second channel forming portion)

Claims (5)

A magnetocaloric element (12) that generates heat and absorbs heat depending on the strength of an external magnetic field;
A container (21) having a working chamber (11) in which the magnetocaloric element is arranged;
A magnetic field modulator (13) for modulating the external magnetic field applied to the magnetocaloric element,
A heat transport device (14) for reciprocating a heat transport medium that exchanges heat with the magnetocaloric element so as to generate a high temperature end and a low temperature end in the magnetocaloric element,
The magnetocaloric element is formed by arranging a plurality of element blocks (12A, 12B, 12C) in a reciprocating direction (XX) which is the reciprocating direction,
Each of the plurality of element blocks is formed by alternately stacking first element plates (121, 221) and second element plates (122, 222),
The first element plate is formed as a flow channel or a flow channel hole extending in the reciprocating direction, and is capable of circulating the heat transport medium in the reciprocating direction. 421a, 521a),
The second element plate is formed as a flow channel or a flow channel hole extending in the reciprocating direction, so that the heat transport medium can flow in the reciprocating direction. 422a, 522a),
The flow path height dimension (Y2, Y4) in the stacking direction (YY) which is the stacking direction of the second flow path forming portion is the flow path height dimension (Y2, Y4) in the stacking direction of the first flow path forming portion ( Y1, Y3) is set larger than
In the element blocks adjacent to each other in the reciprocating direction,
One of the adjacent element blocks has the first element plate arranged at one end in the stacking direction,
The other of the adjacent element blocks is a thermomagnetic cycle device in which the second element plate is arranged at an end on the same side as the one end in the stacking direction.   The flow passage width dimension (Z4) in the orthogonal direction (ZZ) orthogonal to the stacking direction and the reciprocating movement direction of the second flow passage forming portion is the flow passage width dimension of the first flow passage forming portion in the orthogonal direction. The thermomagnetic cycle device according to claim 1, wherein the thermomagnetic cycle device is set to be larger than (Z3).   2. The second element plate has the same number of the second flow passage forming portions as the first flow passage forming portions, corresponding to the first flow passage forming portions of the first element plate. The thermomagnetic cycle device according to claim 2. The first element plate has a plurality of the first flow path forming portion, the second element plate has a plurality of the second flow path forming portion,
The second element plate is provided with a plurality of the second flow passage formations provided at the same pitch as the plurality of the first flow passage formation portions, corresponding to the first flow passage formation portion of the first element plate. The thermomagnetic cycle device according to claim 3, further comprising a portion.   5. The heat according to claim 1, wherein each of the first flow path forming portion and the second flow path forming portion is the flow path groove having a rectangular flow path cross-sectional shape. Magnetic cycle device.

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