Controlling flow of a fluid using thermally deformable channel
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsViktor Kilchyk, Mark R. Gurvich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and associated methods relate to control of flow of a fluid within a fluid conductor having fluid-impenetrable walls surrounding a lumen. The fluid impenetrable walls have a rigid portion, a thermally-deformable portion, and a thermal heater and/or cooler thermally coupled to the thermally-deformable portion. The thermally-deformable portion has a geometrical form that changes in response to changes in temperature of the thermally deformable portion. A flow controller receives a signal indicative of a desired flow rate and controls the thermal heater so as to cause the thermally-deformable portion to deform thereby controlling the fluid flow to the desired flow rate.
Claims20
A system for controlling flow of a fluid, the system comprising:
- a fluid conductor having fluid-impenetrable walls defining a lumen therewithin, the fluid impenetrable walls having:
- a rigid portion;
- and
- a thermally-deformable portion attached to the rigid portion, the thermally-deformable portion having a geometrical form that changes in response to changes in temperature of the thermally deformable portion, wherein a cross-sectional geometry of the lumen changes in response to changes in the geometrical form of the thermally-deformable portion changes, the thermally-deformable portion having a first region and a second region, the first region configured to deform with an inward concavity with respect to the longitudinal axis, and the second region configured to deform with an outward concavity with respect to the longitudinal axis;
- a heater and/or cooler thermally coupled to the thermally-deformable portion;
- and
- a flow controller that receives a signal indicative of a desired flow rate, the flow controller configured to control the heater and/or cooler so as to cause changes in the geometrical form of the thermally-deformable portion and corresponding changes in the cross-sectional geometry of the lumen, thereby controlling the fluid flow to the desired flow rate.
A system for controlling flow of a fluid, the system comprising:
- a fluid conductor having fluid-impenetrable walls defining a lumen therewithin, the fluid impenetrable walls having:
- a rigid portion;
- and
- a thermally-deformable portion attached to the rigid portion, the thermally-deformable portion having a geometrical form that changes in response to changes in temperature of the thermally deformable portion, wherein a cross-sectional geometry of the lumen changes in response to changes in the geometrical form of the thermally-deformable portion changes;
- a heater and/or cooler thermally coupled to the thermally-deformable portion;
- and
- a flow controller that receives a signal indicative of a desired flow rate, the flow controller configured to control the heater and/or cooler so as to cause changes in the geometrical form of the thermally-deformable portion and corresponding changes in the cross-sectional geometry of the lumen, thereby controlling the fluid flow to the desired flow rate,
- wherein the thermally-deformable portion resides entirely within the rigid portion.
A method for controlling flow of a fluid through a fluid conductor having fluid-impenetrable walls defining a lumen therewithin, the method comprising:
- receiving, via a flow controller, a signal indicative of a desired flow rate;
- controlling, via the flow controller, a heater and/or cooler thermally coupled to a thermally-deformable portion of the fluid-impenetrable walls, the thermally-deformable portion having a first region and a second region, the first region configured to deform with an inward concavity with respect to a longitudinal axis, and the second region configured to deform with an outward concavity with respect to the longitudinal axis;
- automatically changing geometry of the thermally-deformable portion in response to changes in temperature of the thermally-deformable portion;
- and
- automatically changing cross-sectional geometry of the lumen in response to changes in the geometry of the thermally-deformable portion, thereby controlling the fluid flow to the desired flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.