A fluid flow director is disclosed. The director comprises a handle body and combed-teeth extending from one side of the body. The body can be formed of a clear plastic such as acrylic. The director can be used with heat exchangers such as a magnetic heat pump and can minimize the undesired mixing of fluid flows.

The types of heat exchangers can encompass both heat pumps and refrigerators. The director can adjust the fluid flow of liquid or gas along desired flow directions. A method of applying the flow director within a magnetic heat pump application is also disclosed where the comb-teeth portions of the director are inserted into the fluid flow paths of the heat pump.

Refrigeration and space heating systems used in industry and for domestic use have relied on Freon gas-cycles. Research has shown that the release of Freon into the atmosphere deteriorates the ozone layer in the Earth's atmosphere.

The ozone layer is a protective layer that shields the earth from ultraviolet rays. The resultant harmful effects from an increase in ultraviolet rays can cause serious problems such as higher incidences of skin cancer. As a result, magnetic heat pump technology has been developed as an alternative to the use of Freon gas-cycle to provide refrigeration and space heating. The magnetic heat pump has the potential of being more efficient than a compressor driven refrigerator by using less power for the same amount of cooling.

A magnetic heat pump consists of a rotor of magnetic material such as gadolinium, which slowly rotates through a magnetic field formed from magnets. The type of magnets used can depend on the degree of cooling desired.

For greater cooling, a super conductor magnet may be used. For lesser cooling, a permanent magnet with a weaker magnetic field may be used. The rotor has an enclosure with flow passages to allow heat transfer fluid to move through the rotor. The control of fluid flow direction through the rotor is difficult because the fluid has to flow into, through the material, and out of the material in one direction as the material is moved in the opposite direction.

The magnetic heat flow direction control was accomplished by using magnetic material machined in disc shaped plates. Flow directors are placed in fixed positions around the magnetic rotor. The flow director blocks the flow forcing the flow in another direction. The flow directors are made by machining comb shaped pieces. The teeth of the pieces fit between the plates of magnetic material. The plates of the magnetic material rotate and move between the stationary teeth of the flow director. This enables the desired relative flow direction of fluid and magnetic material.

The system demands that fluid flowing in and out of the housing, containing the rotating rotors, must follow two separated loops without mixing. The difficulty occurs trying to separate fluid into two loops within the same housing without being mixed. By installing a flow director, a comb shaped piece fitted between the thin rotor plates at the loop separation point, enough restriction would be developed by the comb shaped pieces to properly direct the fluid flow. Darcy's equation indicates that introducing the flow director provides adequate resistance to guide the fluid flow through correct directions with very little mixing.

The first objective of the present invention is to provide a flow director for a magnetic heat pump that allows for fluid loop flow through correct directions with a minor amount of mixing.A second objective of the present invention is to provide a director for controlling the direction of fluid flow through the magnetic material in the magnetic heat pump.A third objective is to provide a flow director that can increase the operating efficiency of magnetic heat pumps.

Further objects and advantages of heat pump invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment which is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.

2012-07-10

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