Microfluidic-based apparatus and method for vaporization of liquids
AssigneeNumerical Design, Inc.
InventorsCarl D. Meinhart, Brian Piorek, Nicholas B. Judy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for vaporizing liquid into the surrounding environment, including directing liquid from a liquid source to a vaporization port where the vaporization port has lateral dimensions varying from 10 um to 300 um, applying heat to the liquid in the vaporization port with an at least one heating element located in thermal communication to the vaporization port, and releasing vaporized liquid from the vaporization port into the surrounding environment so that fluid is transported through the depth of the structure.
Claims16
A vaporization apparatus that is placed within a surrounding environment to vaporize liquid into the surrounding environment, comprising;
- at least one liquid source;
- a plurality of vaporization ports formed in a planar structure comprising a through hole, the through hole with lateral dimensions ranging from 10 um to 300 um, that is in fluid communication with the liquid source on a first side and the surrounding environment on a second side, wherein fluid is transported from the first side of the structure to the second side of the structure through the through hole;
- at least one planar heating element formed on the second side of the planar structure and disposed around a plurality of vaporization ports, wherein
- the at least one planar heating element and the plurality of vaporization ports are microfabricated,
- the dimension of the vaporization ports and the planar structure materials are selected to wick liquid from the liquid source by surface tension, and
- heat applied from the heating element, through the planar structure to liquid that is in direct contact with the planar structure, vaporizes the liquid thereby releasing vapor through the vaporization ports into the surrounding environment.
A method for vaporizing liquid into the surrounding environment, comprising;
- forming a plurality of vaporization ports, wherein the vaporization ports are comprise of a through hole in a planar structure, the holes with lateral dimensions varying from 10 um to 300 um, and are in fluid communication with the liquid on a first side and the surrounding environment on a second side;
- selecting the dimension of the ports and the planar structure materials to enable wicking of liquid from the liquid source by surface tension;
- wicking the liquid from a liquid source;
- applying heat from at least one planar heating element through the planar structure to the liquid that is in direct contact with the planar structure with the at least one planar heating element disposed around a plurality of vaporization ports, and;
- releasing vaporized liquid from the vaporization ports into the surrounding environment so that fluid is transported from the first side of the planar structure to the second side of the planar structure through the through hole
- wherein,
- the at least one planar heating element and the plurality of vaporization ports are microfabricated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.