Importance

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Abstract

A thermal regenerator apparatus is disclosed including a regenerator medium having a plurality of flow passages extending between first and second ports, the flow passages facilitating back and forth fluid flow in a generally transverse direction between the first and second ports while the medium alternatively receives thermal energy from and delivers thermal energy to the fluid. The regenerator medium includes a plurality of overlying foils, each foil having a plurality of channels extending through the foil, the channels having beveled sidewalls. The channels have a width and spacing in the transverse direction and channels in each adjacent overlying foil are transversely offset such that each channel spans between and is in fluid communication with a pair of channels in the adjacent foils and the beveled sidewalls of the channels redirect fluid flow between channels in adjacent foils to form the flow passages. The channels are elongated along the foil in a longitudinal direction orthogonal to the transverse direction and divided by foil bridges extending transversely, the foil bridges being sized to reduce thermal conduction through the medium in the transverse direction.

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First Claim