A caloric heat pump system includes a pump is operable to circulate a working fluid through a stage. The pump includes a motor. A cam is coupled to the motor such that the cam is rotatable by the motor. The cam has a non-circular outer profile surface. Each piston of a pair of pistons has a cam follower positioned on the non-circular outer profile surface of the cam.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a first magneto-caloric cylinder and a second magneto-caloric cylinder. First and second pluralities of thermal stages are stacked along an axial direction between a cold side and a hot side. The second magneto-caloric cylinder and the second plurality of thermal stages are nested concentrically within the first magneto-caloric cylinder and the first plurality of thermal stages. Each thermal stage of the first and second pluralities of thermal stages includes a plurality of magnets and a non-magnetic ring. The plurality of magnets is distributed along a circumferential direction within the non-magnetic ring in each thermal stage of the first and second pluralities of thermal stages.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a magneto-caloric cylinder with a plurality of magneto-caloric stages. A length of one of the plurality of magneto-caloric stages is different than a length of another of the plurality of magneto-caloric stages. Each of a plurality of thermal stages includes a plurality of magnets and a non-magnetic ring. The plurality of magnets is distributed along a circumferential direction within the non-magnetic ring in each of the plurality of thermal stages. The length of each of the plurality of thermal stages corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of magneto-caloric stages.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a plurality of thermal stages stacked along an axial direction between a cold side and a hot side. A plurality of magnets is distributed along a circumferential direction within a non-magnetic ring in each of the plurality of thermal stages. Each of the plurality of thermal stages between a cold side thermal stage and a hot side thermal stage is positioned between a respective pair of the plurality of thermal stages along the axial direction. The plurality of magnets of each of the plurality of thermal stages between the cold side thermal stage and the hot side thermal stage is spaced from the non-magnetic ring of one of the respective pair of the plurality of thermal stages along the axial direction and is in conductive thermal contact with the non-magnetic ring of the other of the respective pair of the plurality of thermal stages.

Devices in which a toroidal mass rotates within a pressurized housing vessel, such as rotary wheel Active Magnetic Regenerative Refrigerators (AMRR) and Active Magnetic Regenerative Liquefiers (AMRL), are disclosed. Mechanical gap-type seal designs (e.g., labyrinth seal designs) for controlling (e.g., minimizing) and/or directing fluid flows in the space between a rotating torus and a stationary housing are disclosed. Additional features, such as the use of low friction surface coatings, the generation of low pressure gradients in high pressure heat transfer fluid transiting porous regenerative beds, and the use of pressure bladders to apply adjustable spring pressure to sealing surfaces are also disclosed and contribute to improved device efficiency and desired fluid flows.

A device comprises an element bed providing a plurality of unit channels each containing an NICE element. The heat transport device has a channel switching mechanism and a biasing mechanism. The channel switching mechanism forms an inlet valve for allowing the heat transport medium to flow into the unit channel and an outlet valve for allowing the heat transport medium to flow out of the unit channel. The biasing mechanism applies different biasing forces to the inlet valve and the outlet valve. The magnitude relationship of the biasing force is the same as the magnitude relationship between the pressure of the heat transport medium acting on the inlet valve and the pressure of the heat transport medium acting on the outlet valve.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a plurality of elongated magneto-caloric members. Each of a plurality of thermal stages includes a plurality of magnets and a plurality of non-magnetic blocks distributed in a sequence of magnet then non-magnetic block along a transverse direction. The plurality of thermal stages and the plurality of elongated magneto-caloric members are configured for relative motion along the transverse direction. The plurality of magnets and the plurality of non-magnetic blocks are spaced along the transverse direction within each of the plurality of thermal stages. Each of the plurality of magnets in the plurality of thermal stages is spaced from a respective non-magnetic block in an adjacent thermal stage towards a cold side thermal stage along the lateral direction and is in conductive thermal contact with a respective non-magnetic block in an adjacent thermal stage towards a hot side thermal stage along the lateral direction.

The invention is for an apparatus and method for a refrigerator and a heat pump based on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) offering a simpler, lighter, robust, more compact, environmentally compatible, and energy efficient alternative to traditional vapor-compression devices. The subject magnetocaloric apparatus alternately exposes a magnetocaloric material to strong and weak magnetic field while switching heat to and from the material. Action of the heat switches is coordinated with the magnetic field strength to move heat up the thermal gradient. The invention may be practiced with multiple magnetocaloric stages to attain large differences in temperature. Key applications include thermal management of electronics, as well as industrial and home refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning. The invention offers a simpler, lighter, compact, and robust apparatus compared to magnetocaloric devices of prior art. Furthermore, the invention may be run in reverse as a thermodynamic engine, receiving low-level heat and producing mechanical energy.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a magneto-caloric cylinder. A plurality of thermal stages is stacked along an axial direction between a cold side and a hot side. A hot side heat exchanger is positioned at the hot side of the plurality of thermal stages. The hot side heat exchanger includes a plurality of pins or plates for rejecting heat to ambient air about the hot side heat exchanger. A cold side heat exchanger is positioned at the cold side of the plurality of thermal stages. A heat transfer fluid is flowable through the cold side heat exchanger. The cold side heat exchanger is configured such that the heat transfer fluid rejects heat to the cold side of the plurality of thermal stages when the heat transfer fluid flows through the cold side heat exchanger.

A magneto-caloric thermal diode assembly includes a magneto-caloric cylinder. A plurality of thermal stages is stacked along an axial direction between a cold side and a hot side. A heat exchanger includes a cylindrical stator positioned at and in thermal communication with the cold side or the hot side of the plurality of thermal stages. A cylindrical rotor is spaced from the cylindrical stator by a cylindrical gap. The cylindrical rotor is configured to rotate relative to the cylindrical stator about a rotation axis. A shearing liquid zone is defined between a surface of the cylindrical stator that faces the cylindrical gap and a surface of the cylindrical rotor that faces the cylindrical gap when the cylindrical gap is filled with a liquid.