# US 6,982,501 B1 · Magnetic fluid power generator device and method for generating power

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- Number: US 6,982,501 B1
- Document ID: US6982501B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 10/440,112
- Filed: 2003-05-19
- Granted: 2006-01-03
- Earliest claimed: 2003-05-19
- Assignees: Materials Modification, Inc.
- Inventors: Sanjay Kotha; Tirumalai S. Sudarshan; Ramachandran Radhakrishnan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6982501B1

## CPC

- H01F 1/44: of magnetic liquids, e.g. ferrofluids (particles in a bonding agent H01F1/28, H01F1/36, {H01F1/37})
- B82Y 25/00: Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
- H01F 1/0054: {Coated nanoparticles, e.g. nanoparticles coated with organic surfactant}
- H02K 44/00: Machines in which the dynamo-electric interaction between a plasma or flow of conductive liquid or of fluid-borne conductive or magnetic particles and a coil system or magnetic field converts energy of mass flow into electrical energy or vice versa
- A61K 9/0097: {Medicinal compositions released by microdevices, e.g. microelectromechanical systems [MEMS], microdevices comprising chips or microdevices on silicon}
- H01F 1/0063: {in a non-magnetic matrix, e.g. granular solids (granular films H01F10/007)}
- H02K 44/08: Magnetohydrodynamic [MHD] generators
- H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53})
- A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D)

## Abstract

A device for generating power includes a fluid including magnetic particles. A source magnetizes the fluid thereby inducing rotations in the magnetic particles for creating a magnetic flux. The rotations of the magnetic particles induce an electromagnetic force in a coil associated with the fluid.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for generating power, comprising:
a) a fluid comprising magnetic particles;
b) a source for magnetizing said fluid thereby inducing rotations in the magnetic particles for creating a magnetic flux;
c) a coil associated with said fluid;
d) said magnetizing source comprising an alternating and traveling magnetic field;
e) said magnetic fluid flowing through a generally non-magnetic, non-conducting line;
f) means for aligning magnetic dipoles of the particles in a generally common direction;
g) a reservoir for comprising said fluid; and
h) a pump for pumping said fluid from said reservoir into said line.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein:
a) said fluid comprises core particles of a magnetic material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise coated particles.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a) said core particles have an average diameter of about 1 nm to 1000 nm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a) said core particles have an average diameter of about 10 nm to 500 nm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a) said core particles have an average diameter of about 10 nm to 100 nm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a) said magnetic material is selected from the group consisting of iron, iron oxide, cobalt, cobalt oxide, nickel, nickel oxide, an alloy, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise a coating of a surfactant.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein:
a) said surfactant is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, lecithin, oleic acid, Surfynol®, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise a coating selected from the group consisting of a ceramic material, a metallic material, a polymer material, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein:
a) the coating is selected from the group consisting of silica, gold, silver, platinum, steel, cobalt, carbon, polyethylene glycol, polystyrene, dextran, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise first and second successive coatings.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein:
a) said first coating comprises a coating of a surfactant; and
b) said second coating comprises a coating of a material selected from the group consisting of a ceramic material, a metallic material, a polymer material, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The device claim 13, wherein:
a) said surfactant is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, lecithin, oleic acid, Surfynol®, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The device of claim 14, wherein:
a) said second coating is selected from the group consisting of silica, gold, silver, platinum, steel, cobalt, carbon, polyethylene glycol, polystyrene, dextran, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein:
a) said core particles are coated with a surfactant and dispersed in a carrier fluid.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The device of claim 16, wherein:
a) said carrier fluid comprises a water-based or an oil-based carrier fluid.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The device of claim 16, wherein:
a) said carrier fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, hydraulic oil, mineral oil, silicone oil, biodegradable oil, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The device of claim 16, wherein:
a) the fraction of said core particles is about 1–95%.

### Claim 20 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise a general shape selected from the group consisting of spherical, needle-like, cubic, irregular, cylindrical, diamond, oval, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 21 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, further comprising:
a) core particles of a non-magnetic material.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The device of claim 21, wherein:
a) said core particles of a non-magnetic material comprise particles of a thermally conducting material, electrically conducting material, a non-conducting material, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 23

A device for generating power, comprising:
a) a fluid for flowing through a generally non-magnetic, non-conducting line;
b) said fluid comprising magnetic particles;
c) an alternating and traveling magnetic field for inducing rotations in the magnetic particles for creating a magnetic flux;
d) a coil associated with said line;
e) means for aligning magnetic dipoles of the magnetic particles in a generally common direction;
f) a reservoir associated with said line for comprising said fluid; and
g) a pump for pumping said fluid from said reservoir into said line.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The device of claim 23, wherein:
a) said fluid comprises core particles of a magnetic material.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise coated particles.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said core particles have an average diameter of about 1 nm to 1000 nm.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said core particles have an average diameter of about 10 nm to 500 nm.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said core particles have an average diameter of about 10 nm to 100 nm.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said magnetic material is selected from the group consisting of iron, iron oxide, cobalt, cobalt oxide, nickel, nickel oxide, an alloy, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 30 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise a coating of a surfactant.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The device of claim 30, wherein:
a) said surfactant is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, lecithin, oleic acid, Surfynol®, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 32 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise a coating selected from the group consisting of a ceramic material, a metallic material, a polymer material, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The device of claim 32, wherein:
a) the coating is selected from the group consisting of silica, gold, silver, platinum, steel, cobalt, carbon, polyethylene glycol, polystyrene, dextran, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 34 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise first and second successive coatings.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The device of claim 34, wherein:
a) said first coating comprises a coating of a surfactant; and
b) said second coating comprises a coating of a material selected from the group consisting of a ceramic material, a metallic material, a polymer material, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The device of claim 35, wherein:
a) said surfactant is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, lecithin, oleic acid, Surfynol®, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The device of claim 36, wherein:
a) said second coating is selected from the group consisting of silica, gold, silver, platinum, steel, cobalt, carbon, polyethylene glycol, polystyrene, dextran, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 38 (depends on 26)

The device of claim 26, wherein:
a) said core particles are coated with a surfactant and dispersed in a carrier fluid.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The device of claim 38, wherein:
a) said carrier fluid comprises a water-based or an oil-based carrier fluid.

### Claim 40 (depends on 38)

The device of claim 38, wherein:
a) said carrier fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, hydraulic oil, mineral oil, silicone oil, biodegradable oil, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 41 (depends on 38)

The device of claim 38, wherein:
a) the fraction of said core particles is about 1–95% by weight of said carrier fluid.

### Claim 42 (depends on 26)

The device of claim 26, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise a general shape selected from the group consisting of spherical, needle-like, cubic, irregular, cylindrical, diamond, oval, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 43 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, further comprising:
a) core particles of a non-magnetic material.

### Claim 44 (depends on 43)

The device of claim 43, wherein:
a) said core particles of a non-magnetic material comprise particles of a thermally conducting material, electrically conducting material, a non-conducting material, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 45

A method of generating power, comprising the steps of:
a) flowing a fluid comprising magnetic particles in a generally non-magnetic, non-conducing line;
b) magnetizing the fluid by an alternating and traveling magnetic field thereby inducing rotations in the magnetic particles for creating a magnetic flux;
c) aligning magnetic dipoles of the rotating magnetic particles in a generally common direction; and
d) inducing an electromagnetic force in a coil associated with the line.

### Claim 46

A device for generating power, comprising:
a) a fluid comprising magnetic particles;
b) a source for magnetizing said fluid thereby inducing rotations in the magnetic particles for creating a magnetic flux;
c) a coil associated with said fluid;
d) said fluid comprising core particles of a magnetic material; and
e) said core particles comprising a coating of a surfactant.

### Claim 47 (depends on 46)

The device of claim 46, wherein:
a) said surfactant is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, lecithin, oleic acid, Surfynol®, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 48 (depends on 46)

The device of claim 46, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise a coating selected from the group consisting of a ceramic material, a metallic material, a polymer material, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 49 (depends on 48)

The device of claim 48, wherein:
a) the coating is selected from the group consisting of silica, gold, silver, platinum, steel, cobalt, carbon, polyethylene glycol, polystyrene, dextran, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 50 (depends on 46)

The device of claim 46, wherein:
a) said core particles comprise first and second successive coatings.

### Claim 51 (depends on 50)

The device of claim 50, wherein:
a) said first coating comprises a coating of a surfactant; and
b) said second coating comprises a coating of a material selected from the group consisting of a ceramic material, a metallic material, a polymer material, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 52

A device for generating power, comprising:
a) a fluid for flowing through a generally non-magnetic, non-conducting line;
b) said fluid comprising magnetic particles;
c) an alternating and traveling magnetic field for inducing rotations in the magnetic particles for creating a magnetic flux;
d) a coil associated with said line;
e) means for aligning magnetic dipoles of the magnetic particles in a generally common direction;
f) said fluid comprising core particles of a magnetic material; and
g) said core particles comprising a coating of a surfactant.