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US 2022/0165555 A1Published application
Method of Manufacturing and Operating Nano-Scale Energy Conversion Device
AssigneeBirmingham Technologies, Inc.
InventorJoseph Birmingham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments relate to methods of manufacturing and operating nano-scale energy converters and electric power generators. The nano-scale energy converters include two electrodes separated a predetermined distance. The first electrode is manufactured to have a first work function value. The second electrode is manufactured to have a second work function value different from the first work function value. A cavity is formed between the first and second electrodes, and a nanofluid is disposed in the cavity. The nanofluid includes a plurality of nanoparticles.
Claims13
A method comprising:
- providing a first electrode comprising a first substrate and a first coating deposited on at least a first surface portion of the first substrate, the first substrate having a first work function value and comprising tungsten (W), the first coating comprising a first thermionic electron emissive material to provide the first electrode with a second work function value that is less than the first work function value;
- providing a second electrode comprising a second substrate and a second coating deposited on at least a second surface portion of the second substrate, the second substrate having a third work function value and comprising gold (Au), the second coating comprising a second thermionic electron emissive material to provide the second electrode with a fourth work function value that is less than the third work function value and different than the second work function value;
- including a nanofluid and a dielectric medium in a cavity positioned between the first and second electrodes, wherein the nanofluid comprises a plurality of nanoparticles and the dielectric medium is formed from a sol-gel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.