Patents by Inventor James W. Palko

James W. Palko has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Vapor chamber heat flux rectifier and thermal switch
    Patent number: 10066876
    Abstract: Embodiments of an evaporator chamber heat flux rectifier and thermal switch are provided. Some embodiments include an evaporator layer with a first thermally conductive surface, a wicking structure for facilitating evaporation of a fluid in the vapor chamber heat flux rectifier, and a condenser layer that includes a second thermally conductive surface. Some embodiments include a middle layer, where when heat is applied to the first thermally conductive surface, the vapor chamber heat flux rectifier operates as a thermal conductor. Some embodiments that operate as a thermal switch include a non-condensable gas reservoir that is coupled to the condenser layer. The non-condensable gas reservoir may store a non-condensable gas when a threshold heat flux is applied to the evaporator layer. The non-condensable gas provides thermal insulation between the evaporator layer and the condenser layer when the threshold heat flux is not applied to the evaporator layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Ercan M. Dede, Mehdi Asheghi, James W. Palko, Kenneth E. Goodson
  • VAPOR CHAMBER HEAT FLUX RECTIFIER AND THERMAL SWITCH
    Publication number: 20180073814
    Abstract: Embodiments of an evaporator chamber heat flux rectifier and thermal switch are provided. Some embodiments include an evaporator layer with a first thermally conductive surface, a wicking structure for facilitating evaporation of a fluid in the vapor chamber heat flux rectifier, and a condenser layer that includes a second thermally conductive surface. Some embodiments include a middle layer, where when heat is applied to the first thermally conductive surface, the vapor chamber heat flux rectifier operates as a thermal conductor. Some embodiments that operate as a thermal switch include a non-condensable gas reservoir that is coupled to the condenser layer. The non-condensable gas reservoir may store a non-condensable gas when a threshold heat flux is applied to the evaporator layer. The non-condensable gas provides thermal insulation between the evaporator layer and the condenser layer when the threshold heat flux is not applied to the evaporator layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Ercan M. Dede, Mehdi Asheghi, James W. Palko, Kenneth E. Goodson