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US 8,986,627 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for control of fluid temperature and flow
AssigneeForced Physics, LLC
InventorScott Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Materials, components, and methods consistent with the present invention are directed to the fabrication and use of micro-scale channels with a fluid, where the temperature and flow of the fluid is controlled through the geometry of the micro-scale channel and the configuration of at least a portion of the wall of the micro-scale channel and the constituent particles that make up the fluid. Moreover, the wall of the micro-scale channel and the constituent particles are configured such that collisions between the constituent particles and the wall are substantially specular.
Claims16
An apparatus for cooling comprising:
- a micro channel comprising a wall portion, an inflow opening, and an outflow opening;
- and
- a gas comprising a constituent particle;
- wherein the micro channel is configured to accommodate a flow of the gas from the inflow opening to the outflow opening in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a cross section of the micro channel;
- wherein the inflow opening has a first cross section area and the outflow opening has a second cross section area substantially different from the first cross section area;
- wherein the first cross section area has a value in a first range of about 0.01 μm2 to 500 μm2;
- wherein the second cross section area has a value in a second range of about 0.1 μm2 to 50,000 μm2;
- and
- wherein the wall portion and the constituent particle are configured such that a velocity component of the constituent particle parallel to the wall portion before a collision between the constituent particle and the wall portion has approximately the same value after the collision and further configured such that energy transfer between the wall portion and the constituent particle occurs through a change in a velocity component of the constituent particle perpendicular to the wall portion.
6 more elements
A method for cooling, comprising:
- providing a micro channel comprising a surface, an inflow opening, and an outflow opening, wherein the surface comprises a wall portion, and wherein the inflow opening has a first cross section area and the outflow opening has a second cross section area substantially different from the first cross section area;
- providing a gas comprising a constituent particle;
- inducing a flow of the gas from the inflow opening to the outflow opening in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a cross section of the micro channel;
- wherein the first cross section area has a value in a first range of about 0.01 μm2 to 500 μm2;
- wherein the second cross section area has a value in a second range of about 0.1 μm2 to 50,000 μm2;
- and
- wherein at least one of the wall portion and the constituent particle is configured such that a velocity component of the constituent particle parallel to the wall portion before a collision between the constituent particle and the wall portion has approximately the same value after the collision and further configured such that energy transfer between the wall portion and the constituent particle occurs through a change in a velocity component of the constituent particle perpendicular to the wall portion.
4 more elements
A system for cooling comprising:
- a micro channel comprising a wall portion, an inflow opening, and an outflow opening;
- and
- a gas comprising a constituent particle, the gas being induced to flow through the micro channel through operation of a pressure differential between a first pressure and a second pressure, the first pressure of the gas proximal to the inflow opening being atmospheric and the second pressure of the gas proximal to the outflow opening being substantially less than atmospheric;
- wherein the micro channel is configured to accommodate a flow of the gas from the inflow opening to the outflow opening in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a cross section of the micro channel;
- wherein the inflow opening has an inflow cross section value in a first range of about 0.01 μm2 to 500 μm2;
- wherein the outflow opening has an outflow cross section value in a second range of about 0.1 μm2 to 50,000 μm2;
- wherein a linear distance between the inflow opening and the outflow opening along a length of the micro channel has a value in a range of about 0.01 mm to 10 m;
- and
- wherein the wall portion and the constituent particle are configured such that a velocity component of the constituent particle parallel to the wall portion before a collision between the constituent particle and the wall portion has approximately the same value after the collision and further configured such that energy transfer between the wall portion and the constituent particle occurs through a change in a velocity component of the constituent particle perpendicular to the wall portion.
6 more elements
A method for cooling, comprising:
- providing a micro channel comprising a surface, an inflow opening, and an outflow opening, wherein the surface comprises a wall portion;
- providing a gas comprising a constituent particle;
- inducing a flow of the gas from the inflow opening to the outflow opening in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a cross section of the micro channel through operation of a pressure differential between a first pressure and a second pressure, the first pressure of the gas proximal to the inflow opening being atmospheric and the second pressure of the gas proximal to the outflow opening being substantially less than atmospheric;
- wherein the inflow opening has an inflow cross section value in a first range of about 0.01 μm2 to 500 μm2;
- wherein the outflow opening has an outflow cross section value in a second range of about 0.1 μm2 to 50,000 μm2;
- wherein a linear distance between the inflow opening and the outflow opening along a length of the micro channel has a value in a range of about 0.01 mm to 10 m;
- and
- wherein at least one of the wall portion and the constituent particle is configured such that a velocity component of the constituent particle parallel to the wall portion before a collision between the constituent particle and the wall portion has approximately the same value after the collision and further configured such that energy transfer between the wall portion and the constituent particle occurs through a change in a velocity component of the constituent particle perpendicular to the wall portion.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.