Microelectronic thermal valve
AssigneePurdue Research Foundation
InventorsAlina Alexeenko, Anthony George Cofer, Stephen Douglas Heister
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microfabricated valve with no moving parts. In one embodiment, the valve includes a reservoir of a liquid that is in fluid communication with an outlet channel having a throat that is less than 100 microns wide. Preferably, the channel is an elongated slit. The configuration of channel is adapted and configured such that surface tension of the liquid prevents flow out of the channel. A heater increases the temperature of the meniscus of the fluid, until a portion of the fluid is ejected from the channel. The ejection of the fluid creates both a thrusting effect and a cooling effect.
Claims27
A method for controlling the flow of a substance, comprising:
- closing an aperture in a chamber containing substance by the surface tension of the substance;
- heating a portion of the substance proximate to the aperture and changing a physical property of the portion by said heating;
- flowing the heated portion through the aperture;
- and
- reclosing the aperture by the surface tension of the substance after said flowing
A valve for controlling the flow of a substance, comprising:
- a chamber having an interior adapted and configured as a reservoir of substance;
- an aperture in the chamber, the aperture having an entrance in fluid communication with the substance and an exit in fluid communication with the ambient conditions of said chamber, the aperture being adapted and configured to be blocked by the surface tension of the fluid;
- and
- a source of heat proximate to the aperture;
- wherein application of heat from the source to the substance changes a physical property of the substance at the entrance and permits an ejection of the substance from the exit to ambient conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.