Autonomic cooling system
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsAnthony Coppola, Scott R. White, Nancy R. Sottos
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Abstract
Autonomic cooling of a substrate is achieved using a porous thermal protective layer to provide evaporative cooling combined with capillary pumping. The porous thermal protective layer is manufactured onto the substrate. A vascular network is integrated between the substrate and the protective layer. Applied heat causes fluid contained in the protective layer to evaporate, removing heat. The fluid lost to evaporation is replaced by capillary pressure, pulling fluid from a fluid-containing reservoir through the vascular network. Cooling occurs as liquid evaporates from the protective layer.
Claims20
An autonomic cooling system comprising a fluid-containing reservoir connected to a material containing the fluid,
- the fluid comprising a cooling liquid;
- and
- the material comprising:
- (a) a porous thermal protective layer;
- (b) a structural or non-structural substrate:
- (i) the structural substrate comprising a metal, ceramic, polymer matrix composite (PMC), or a combination thereof;
- and
- (ii) the non-structural substrate comprising a non-natural elastomer;
- and
- (c) a vascularized layer integrated between the protective layer and the substrate,
- such that the vascularized layer is in direct contact with the protective layer;
- where the system autonomically cools the material upon an application of sufficient heat from a heat source to the material, whereby the vascularized layer disperses the cooling liquid throughout enough of the protective layer to produce a pressure gradient between the reservoir and the pores of the protective layer, the cooling liquid in the protective layer evaporates to remove the applied heat, and the cooling liquid lost by the evaporation is replaced via capillary pressure drawing fluid from the reservoir to the vascularized layer.
A method of autonomically cooling a material exposed to a heat source, comprising:
- A. providing the heat source;
- B. providing a fluid-containing reservoir connected to the material;
- and
- C. filling the material with the fluid from the reservoir;
- where, the fluid comprises a cooling liquid;
- and
- the material comprises:
- (a) a porous thermal protective layer;
- (b) a structural or non-structural substrate:
- (i) the structural substrate comprising a metal, ceramic, polymer matrix composite (PMC), or a combination thereof;
- and
- (ii) the non-structural substrate comprising a non-natural elastomer;
- and
- (c) a vascularized layer integrated between the protective layer and the substrate, such that the vascularized layer is in direct contact with the protective layer;
- and
- where the system autonomically cools the material upon an application of sufficient heat from the heat source to the material, whereby the vascularized layer disperses the cooling liquid throughout enough of the protective layer to produce a pressure gradient between the reservoir and the pores of the protective layer, the cooling liquid in the protective layer evaporates to remove the applied heat, and the cooling liquid lost by the evaporation is replaced via capillary pressure drawing fluid from the reservoir to the vascularized layer.
An autonomic cooling system comprising a fluid-containing reservoir connected to a material containing the fluid,
- the fluid comprising a cooling liquid;
- and
- the material comprising:
- (a) a porous thermal protective layer;
- (b) a structural or non-structural substrate:
- (i) the structural substrate comprising a metal, ceramic, polymer matrix composite (PMC), or a combination thereof;
- and
- (ii) the non-structural substrate comprising a non-natural elastomer;
- and
- (c) a vascularized layer integrated between the protective layer and the substrate,
- such that the vascularized layer is in direct contact with the protective layer, the vascularized layer comprising channels in direct contact with the pores of the protective layer;
- where the system autonomically cools the material upon an application of sufficient heat from a heat source to the material, whereby the vascularized layer disperses the fluid cooling liquid throughout enough of the protective layer to produce a pressure gradient between the reservoir and the pores of the protective layer, the cooling liquid in the protective layer evaporates to remove the applied heat, and the cooling liquid lost by the evaporation is replaced via capillary pressure drawing fluid from the reservoir to the vascularized layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.