Microcombustor having submillimeter critical dimensions
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsRichard I. Masel, Mark A. Shannon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microcombustor which is submillimetric in critical dimensions. The invention relies upon solving quenching at submillimetric dimensions. Chemical and thermal quenching are inhibited by selection of materials having a low well depth below approximately 40 kCal/mole. This allows formation of a microcombustor having submillimetric combustion chamber. A preferred microcombustor is formed in a substrate structure. The preferred microcombustor includes a wafer stack of at least three wafers, a central wafer housing a combustion chamber. At least one inlet and outlet are included for the insertion of reactants and exhaust of a flame.
Claims16
A microcombustor comprising:
- an elongate combustion chamber having submillimetric critical dimensions;
- means for inputting combustion fuel into said combustion chamber;
- a coating on inside surfaces of said combustion chamber, said coating having a low well-depth to inhibit chemical quenching;
- and
- an exhaust from said combustion chamber.
A microcombustor comprising:
- a central wafer having an elongate channel formed therein, said channel having a submillimetric diameter;
- at least two enclosure wafers, one disposed on each side of said central wafer;
- at least one inlet for inletting at least one reactant etched into at least one of said enclosure wafers;
- an inlet penetration of one of said enclosure wafers and in communication with said elongate channel;
- an exhaust outlet from said combustion chamber, wherein said channel includes surfaces which inhibit chemical and thermal quenching.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.