Negative thermal expansion current interrupter
AssigneeAmerican Lithium Energy Corporation
InventorJiang Fan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric power system such as, for example, a circuit, an electric appliance, an electric generator, and/or an energy storage system, can be coupled with a negative thermal expansion component. The negative thermal expansion component can be formed from a material having negative thermal expansion properties such that the negative thermal expansion component contracts in response to an increase in temperature. The contraction of the negative thermal expansion component can form a nonconductive gap that disrupts current flow through the electric power system. The disruption of the current flow can eliminate hazards associated with the electric power system overcharging, overheating, and/or developing an internal short circuit.
Claims8
A fuse, comprising:
- a negative thermal expansion plate interposed between a first metal plate and a second metal plate, the negative thermal expansion plate comprising a negative thermal expansion material such that at least a portion of the negative thermal expansion plate contracts in response to an increase in temperature, the contraction of the negative thermal expansion plate forming a nonconductive gap between the first metal plate and the second metal plate, and the formation of the nonconductive gap disrupting a current flow through an electric power system coupled with the fuse, the negative thermal expansion plate further comprising a nonconductive material providing structural support, the nonconductive material comprising a positive temperature coefficient material such that another portion of the negative thermal expansion plate responds to the temperature exceeding a threshold value by undergoing a phase transition to cause the another portion of the negative thermal expansion plate to expand and further form the nonconductive gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.