Patents by Inventor Zhengyi MAO

Zhengyi MAO 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).

  • Publication number: 20250213312
    Abstract: The present invention provides a 4D-printed humidity and magnetic dual responsive actuator with a bilayer structure, including a hydrogel film and a numerous of magnetic elastomer filaments, the numerous of magnetic elastomer filaments are printed on the hydrogel film to formed the bilayer structure, wherein the magnetic elastomer filaments are elastomer filaments embedded with magnetic particles, and the dual responsive actuator capable of responding to both humidity and magnetic fields, resulting in a reversible deformation that transforms into helix structures. The printed actuators can initially deform into helix structures in response to humidity stimuli and rapidly contract to a smaller size with the activation of a magnetic field. The shape deformation of this dual-responsive actuator is programmable and reversible, with stable and excellent repeatability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2023
    Publication date: July 3, 2025
    Inventors: Jian LU, Yunhu HE, Zhengyi MAO, Yicheng HAN
  • Publication number: 20250178926
    Abstract: The present invention provides a high-efficiency buoyancy-driven convection-based 3D solar evaporator designed for the simultaneous rejection of salt and stable evaporation of high salinity water. The product combines different strategies, including engineered wick structure, low tortuosity macrochannels and edge-preferential salt crystallization. As a result, this evaporator demonstrates a stable evaporation rate of at least 2.5 kg m?2 h?1 under solar irradiance of 1 kW m?2 with sea water or salt solution of salinity of over 8 wt %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2023
    Publication date: June 5, 2025
    Inventors: Jian LU, Zhengyi MAO, Yicheng HAN, Yingxian CHEN, Lanxi LI
  • Patent number: 12021478
    Abstract: There is provided a hybrid system for electricity and water generation, that includes a thermoelectric generator (TEG) layer for converting heat to electricity, an absorber layer arranged on one side of the TEG layer for converting solar energy to heat, a cooling structure arranged on the other side of the TEG layer for dissipating a waste heat from the TEG layer, and an evaporator configured to form an interfacial cooling region with the cooling structure for water generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Jian Lu, Zhengyi Mao, Qiliang Wang, Yao Yao, Zhaowenbo Cao
  • Patent number: 11999634
    Abstract: An evaporator for solar desalination and a preparation method thereof and use thereof are provided. The evaporator has a porous skeleton, interconnected channels, and a hydrophobic decoration. The interconnected channels are formed from gaps of the porous skeleton, and the hydrophobic decoration is positioned on the surface of the porous skeleton. The evaporator is for sustainable solar water evaporation even in highly salty water. Specifically, the continuous evaporation for 24 h without salt precipitation in 20 wt % NaCl solution can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Futian Research Institute
    Inventors: Jian Lu, Zhengyi Mao
  • Patent number: 11945754
    Abstract: A method for forming a complex shape three-dimensional ceramic article by printing a first layer of a first material having a first fraction of first ceramic particles and a first fraction of a first polymeric ceramic precursor. A second layer is printed such that it is at least partially disposed on the first layer of a second material having a second fraction of second ceramic particles and a second fraction of a second polymeric ceramic precursor. A composite of the first layer and the second layer is heated at a temperature sufficient to decompose the first and second polymeric ceramic precursors and sinter the article. During the sintering process, the first and second layers with different fractions of ceramic particles undergo different degrees of shrinkage, resulting in a tuneable mismatch of the bilayer structure and accurately achieving a targeted geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Jian Lu, Lei Wan, Zhou Chen, Zhengyi Mao
  • Publication number: 20240018017
    Abstract: An evaporator for solar desalination and a preparation method thereof and use thereof are provided. The evaporator has a porous skeleton, interconnected channels, and a hydrophobic decoration. The interconnected channels are formed from gaps of the porous skeleton, and the hydrophobic decoration is positioned on the surface of the porous skeleton. The evaporator is for sustainable solar water evaporation even in highly salty water. Specifically, the continuous evaporation for 24 h without salt precipitation in 20 wt % NaCl solution can be realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Jian LU, Zhengyi MAO
  • Publication number: 20240017243
    Abstract: An adsorbent, a preparation method therefor and use thereof are provided. The adsorbent has a liquid channel, and the liquid channel has a low-tortuous porous structure. The adsorbent can realize fast and large-scale absorption of various liquids without consuming external energy and not requiring additional apparatuses when in use. The adsorbent can be used for efficient, safe and comfortable medical sampling and can also be used for recovery of various liquids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Jian LU, Zhengyi MAO, Fengqian HAO, Binbin ZHOU
  • Publication number: 20230128778
    Abstract: A method for forming a complex shape three-dimensional ceramic article by printing a first layer of a first material having a first fraction of first ceramic particles and a first fraction of a first polymeric ceramic precursor. A second layer is printed such that it is at least partially disposed on the first layer of a second material having a second fraction of second ceramic particles and a second fraction of a second polymeric ceramic precursor. A composite of the first layer and the second layer is heated at a temperature sufficient to decompose the first and second polymeric ceramic precursors and sinter the article. During the sintering process, the first and second layers with different fractions of ceramic particles undergo different degrees of shrinkage, resulting in a tuneable mismatch of the bilayer structure and accurately achieving a targeted geometry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Jian LU, Lei WAN, Zhou CHEN, Zhengyi MAO