Heat pump unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pumps using magnetic fields for heat transfer face inefficiencies due to limited heat transfer area and increased pressure drop when reducing magnetic particle size, and large temperature differences lead to decreased thermal efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump unit employing a magnetic particle dispersion as a primary working fluid, with multiple stages and a secondary working fluid circulation channel to enhance heat transfer efficiency by leveraging the magnetocaloric effect and reducing heat transfer resistance, utilizing a permanent magnet source for the magnetic field without a power source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the size of magnetic particles is reduced to increase heat transfer area, then the heat transfer area A is improved, but the pressure drop increases and heat pump efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump system is divided into multiple stages, with each stage handling a specific temperature range. This segmentation allows the use of larger magnetic particles in each stage while still achieving the required total heat transfer area through the combination of multiple stages, thereby reducing pressure drop while maintaining heat transfer effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-stage system to a multi-stage configuration, adding the dimension of sequential processing. This allows the system to achieve large total heat transfer area without requiring excessively small particles in any single stage, thus balancing heat transfer area requirements with acceptable pressure drop levels.
2Power
If the temperature difference Δt between heat transfer surfaces is increased to obtain large heat quantity Q, then the heat quantity Q is improved, but the thermal efficiency decreases due to extra temperature raising and lowering
Solution Approach 1:
The overall temperature difference is segmented into multiple smaller temperature differences across different stages. Each stage operates with a moderate temperature difference, avoiding the excessive temperature differences that would cause thermal efficiency losses, while the cumulative effect achieves the required total heat quantity transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating parameters (temperature difference) at each stage to optimize efficiency. By adjusting the temperature difference parameter to be moderate rather than extreme, the system maintains high thermal efficiency while still achieving large total heat quantity through the multi-stage configuration.
3Power
If many heat pumps and heat-transfer assisting sections are arranged in multiple stages to transfer heat with large temperature difference, then the heat transfer capability is improved, but the device complexity and number of pumps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary working fluid circulation system serves multiple functions: it transfers heat between stages, enables large temperature difference operation, and integrates with the magnetic particle dispersion system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby reducing overall device complexity despite the multi-stage configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for efficient thermal energy transfer with a large temperature difference between external fluids, reducing the number of stages and improving overall thermal efficiency while minimizing the need for additional pumps and maintaining economic viability.
Implementation Method 1
a primary working fluid circulating between a heat-absorbing section that receives heat from an outside and a heat-releasing section that releases heat to the outside is a magnetic particle dispersion containing magnetic particles dispersed in a dispersion medium, so that the efficiency of heat exchange between the magnetic particles and the dispersion medium of the primary working fluid can be improved, enabling highly efficient heat transfer using a magnetic field
Data Source
AI summary
A heat pump has an internal heat-absorbing section that receives heat and an internal heat-releasing section that releases heat. Heat is transferred between the internal heat-absorbing section and the internal heat-releasing section using a magnetic particle dispersion circulating between the internal heat-absorbing section and the internal heat-releasing section. The heat pump may include: an external heat-absorbing section in which a secondary working fluid receives heat from a heat-giving fluid; an external heat-releasing section in which the secondary working fluid releases heat to a heat-receiving fluid; and a circulation channel that allows the secondary working fluid to circulate.