Fluids having a controlled stress response characteristic
AssigneePalo Alto Research Center Incorporated
InventorVictor Alfred Beck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A shear thickening fluid having a controlled stress response, in which various stress response characteristics, including, an onset stress, a boundary stress and a fractures stress, can be controlled. The stress response characteristics controlled by the controlled properties of the shear thickening fluid, including the viscosity of a fluid medium, the mechanical properties of the suspended particles and the mechanical properties of the fluid boundary.
Claims21
A shear thickening fluid having a controlled stress response, the controlled stress response having a controllable onset stress at which an onset viscosity of the shear thickening fluid begins to increase in response to an applied shear stress and a controllable boundary stress at which a boundary viscosity of the shear thickening fluid reaches a maximum viscosity in response to the applied shear stress, the shear thickening fluid, comprising:
- a fluid medium comprising at least one fluid and a plurality of particles;
- the fluid medium having a fluid medium characteristic;
- the plurality of particles suspended in the fluid medium, the plurality of particles having a particles characteristic;
- a boundary enclosing the fluid suspended in the fluid medium, the boundary having a boundary characteristic;
- wherein at least one of the fluid medium characteristic, the particles characteristic and the boundary characteristic are selected based on at least one of a preselected magnitude of the controllable onset stress and a preselected magnitude of the controllable boundary stress of the shear thickening fluid;
- and
- wherein at least one of the plurality of particles has the particles characteristic comprising a hollow interior surrounded by a shell having a thickness.
A rotary dashpot, comprising:
- at least one housing including side walls and enclosing:
- a shear thickening fluid having a controlled stress response, the controlled stress response having a controllable onset stress at which an onset viscosity of the shear thickening fluid begins to increase in response an applied shear stress and a controllable boundary stress at which a boundary viscosity of the shear thickening fluid reaches a maximum viscosity in response to the applied shear stress;
- a rotor structured to at least partially rotate within the shear thickening fluid;
- and
- a stator disposed opposite the rotor and forming at least one of the boundaries enclosing the shear thickening fluid;
- wherein, when the rotor rotates within the shear thickening fluid, the rotation of the rotor in the shear thickening fluid applies the shear stress to the shear thickening fluid, the shear thickening fluid including:
- a fluid medium comprising at least one fluid and a plurality of particles;
- the fluid medium having a fluid medium characteristic;
- the plurality of particles suspended in the fluid medium, the plurality of particles having a particles characteristic;
- at least one of the housing, the rotor and the stator having a boundary characteristic;
- wherein at least one of the fluid medium characteristic, the particles characteristic and the boundary characteristic are selected based on at least one of a preselected magnitude of the controllable onset stress and a preselected magnitude of the controllable boundary stress;
- and
- wherein at least one of the plurality of particles has a hollow interior surrounded by a shell having a thickness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.