Control Of Variable Thermal Conductivity Systems (e.g., Heat Valves, Etc.) Patents (Class 165/276)
  • Patent number: 11178733
    Abstract: There is provided a cooker having at least one heating element (200). The cooker also has a supporting structure for supporting a cooking vessel above the heating element (200) and a bi-metallic element (202). The bi-metallic element (202) drives the heating element (200) to move based on a temperature of the bi-metallic element (202).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.
    Inventor: Yusuf Ak
  • Patent number: 11098718
    Abstract: A pump cooling system may include a cooling body configured to be fitted to a pump housing to receive heat from the pump housing via a heat conducting path between the cooling body and pump housing. The cooling body may have a passage through which, in use, a cooling fluid is passed to conduct heat away from the cooling body. The pump cooling system includes a cooling control mechanism configured to provide a gap in the heat conducting path at pump operating temperatures below a predefined temperature so heat conduction from the pump housing to the cooling body is interrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Edwards Limited
    Inventors: Michael Henry North, Phillip North, Malcolm William Gray, Neil Turner
  • Patent number: 10852080
    Abstract: A controller configured to: acquire a temperature of a first component and a temperature of a second component; and adjust a thermal resistance of a medium between the first component and the second component based on the acquired temperature of the first component, the acquired temperature of the second component, a first temperature limit of the first component, and a second temperature limit of the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yun-hyeok Im, Myung-kyoon Yim, Kyoung-min Lee, Kyung-soo Lee
  • Patent number: 10624241
    Abstract: A server rack comprises a plurality of slots and a plurality of computing devices. Individual ones of the computing devices are mounted within individual ones of the slots. The server rack also comprises a plurality of slot-level thermal regulation systems. At least one of the slot-level thermal regulation systems comprises a louver corresponding to a particular slot and located between a particular computing device mounted within the particular slot and at least one fan configured to facilitate airflow through the server rack. The louver is configured to regulate airflow through the particular computing device. The at least one slot-level thermal regulation system further comprises a thermally activated unit located in an exhaust flow of the particular computing device and configured to change the angle of the louver in response to a change in thermal energy of the exhaust flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter George Ross, Christopher Strickland Beall, Felipe Enrique Ortega Gutierrez, Darin Lee Frink
  • Patent number: 10578362
    Abstract: A thermal insulation structure is disposed at an exterior of a chamber of a heating device. The thermal insulation structure includes a heat conduction layer, a heat storage layer and a reflection layer. The heat conduction layer is adapted to conduct heat from the chamber to the heat storage layer. The heat storage layer is adapted to store heat. The reflection layer is adapted to reflect radiation heat back to the chamber, whereby a temperature of the chamber could be kept at a constant so as to reduce heat dissipation of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignees: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology, Ten Wing Scientific Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsi-Ming Tseng, Li-Chih Liao
  • Patent number: 10292307
    Abstract: An example heatsink is operable as a multimode thermal switching heatsink and includes a housing that has a first heat transfer coefficient. The housing has a first heat transfer coefficient. The heatsink further includes a liquid in thermal communication with the housing and operatively positioned adjacent to a heat source. The liquid has a second heat transfer coefficient, which may be greater than the first heat transfer coefficient. In a first operating condition, the liquid has a first volume at a first thermal contact with the heat source, and, in a second operating condition, the liquid has a second volume and a second thermal contact with the heat source. The second thermal contact is greater than the first thermal contact, thereby enhancing dissipation of heat from the heat source in the second operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Juniper Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Paul Wyland
  • Patent number: 9943008
    Abstract: An electronic device includes an integrated circuit, a flexible heat spreader, an actuator, and a controller. The actuator is coupled to the flexible heat spreader and the controller is configured to control the actuator between a first actuation mode and a second actuation mode. When in the first actuation mode, the actuator positions the flexible heat spreader with an air gap between the flexible heat spreader and the integrated circuit such that the flexible heat spreader is thermally separated from the integrated circuit to increase a thermal impedance between the flexible heat spreader and the integrated circuit. When in the second actuation mode, the actuator positions the flexible heat spreader in thermal contact with the integrated circuit without the air gap there between to reduce the thermal impedance between the flexible heat spreader and the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajat Mittal, Mehdi Saeidi, Vivek Sahu, Ryan Coutts
  • Patent number: 9896987
    Abstract: An exhaust gas heat recovery system for a vehicle is configured to selectively distribute a fluid heated by engine exhaust to a first path for generating electricity and a second path for heating one or more powertrain components of the vehicle. A controller selects a distribution of the fluid to the first and second paths based on minimizing a fuel consumption of an engine. The controller further selects a distribution of fluid to the powertrain components to minimize fuel consumption. The controller distributes the fluid according to the selected distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Quazi Hussain, William Samuel Schwartz, Chad Allan Baker, David Richens Brigham, Mark John Jennings
  • Patent number: 9835066
    Abstract: A prechamber assembly includes a cylinder head including a coolant cavity, a prechamber body located within the cylinder head, the prechamber body including a nozzle, and an annular sleeve radially surrounding a portion of the prechamber body. The sleeve includes a plurality of coolant inlet holes. A portion of the prechamber body is radially spaced from the sleeve to form a coolant sleeve annulus extending along a length of the prechamber body above the coolant inlet holes. The coolant cavity and the coolant sleeve annulus are in fluid communication through the plurality of coolant inlet holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Clean Train Propulsion
    Inventor: David Cook
  • Patent number: 9349558
    Abstract: A heat switch has a first contact, a plug of thermally conductive material, and a mechanical actuator attached to the plug of thermally conductive material, the mechanical actuator arranged to move the plug into contact with the first contact in a first position and to move the plug out of contact with the first contact in a second position responsive to an input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David Eric Schwartz, Sean Roark Garner, Dirk De Bruyker, Ricardo Santos Roque
  • Patent number: 9291667
    Abstract: An adaptive thermal control system maintains and regulates an accurate and stable thermal environment for a device under test. The adaptive thermal control system includes (i) pre-trigger communications from automatic test equipment (ATE) to automatic thermal control (ATC) allowing slow-responding ATC to start responding to an imminent thermal change before the thermal change occurs, (ii) a control profile which indicates to the ATC, prior to anticipated thermal change, that a change is imminent and the nature of the change over time. The generation and fine-tuning of the control profile can be done by two different methods (i) with the semi-automatic approach the tester does some pre-tests in order to determine a typical response profile which the test program then adjusts using adaptive techniques, (ii) With the fully automatic adaptive circuitries same typical response profile is algorithmically adjusted and utilized to control the ATC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventors: David H. Armstrong, Mike Callaway
  • Publication number: 20150129193
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for decreasing the spread of the tube temperatures between tubes in a process involving the heating of at least one fluid in a furnace that comprises at least one radiation chamber with radiant walls, at least one essentially vertical row of tubes inside of which circulate the at least one fluid to be heated, and being equipped with burners that heat the tubes, where the method comprises the steps of: determining, for each of the tubes the skin temperature of the tube, selecting the 50% tubes having the lowest temperatures determined, the process being stopped, realizing on each tube selected an operation that decreases the flow of the fluid distributed to said tube while keeping the total flow rate of the fluid unchanged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Jean Gallarda, Frederic Camy-Perret, Julien Cances, Antoine Hsu, Jacques Segret, Daniel Gary, Patrice Levee, Antonio Coscia, Dirck Simons
  • Patent number: 9025333
    Abstract: A new multifunctional, thermoelastic cellular structure is described. The new structure provides tunable thermal transport behaviors particularly important for thermal switching. In its simplest example embodiment of a single or unit cell, opposing bimetallic elements bend in response to temperature changes and, below a tunable switching temperature, are separated in an open or insulating position and, at and above the switching temperature, bend to come into contact in a closed or conducting position. Multiple cells are combined in different lattice arrays to create structures that are both switchable and load bearing. The cells can be switched by both temperature and other external fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Airforce
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Spowart, Wynn S. Sanders, Garth B. Wilks
  • Publication number: 20150116939
    Abstract: A structure and method of using the structure. The structure including an integrated circuit chip having a set of micro-channels; an electro-rheological coolant fluid filling the micro-channels; first and second parallel channel electrodes on opposite sides of at least one micro-channel, the first channel electrode connected to an output of an auto-compensating temperature control circuit, the second channel electrode connected to ground; the auto-compensating temperature control circuit comprising a temperature stable current source connected between a positive voltage rail and the output and having a temperature sensitive circuit connected between ground and the output, a leakage current of the temperature stable current source being essentially insensitive to temperature and a leakage current of the temperature sensitive circuit increasing with temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kerry Bernstein, Kenneth J. Goodnow, Clarence R. Ogilvie, John Sargis, Jr., Sebastian T. Ventrone, Charles S. Woodruff
  • Patent number: 9010409
    Abstract: A thermal switch has a first substrate, a thermally conductive region on the first substrate, a thermally insulative region on the first substrate adjacent the thermally conductive region, a second substrate arranged adjacent the first substrate, a droplet of thermally conductive liquid between the first and second substrate adjacent the thermally conductive region and the thermally insulative region, and an actuator arranged on one of the first or second substrates to cause the droplet to move between the thermally conductive region and the thermally insulative region on the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Dirk De Bruyker, David Eric Schwartz, Ricardo Santos Roque, Sean Roark Garner, Matthew D. Eisaman, Joseph Robert Johnson
  • Publication number: 20150090436
    Abstract: A temperature control system may include a compartment having at least one side with low thermal conductivity and a side with a double wall, the double wall having an interior wall and an exterior wall, the interior wall and the exterior wall having high thermal conductivity and forming a channel therebetween and a reservoir connected to the channel. A drive may be contained within the reservoir, wherein the drive is responsive to a temperature within the compartment to transfer a liquid with high thermal conductivity from the reservoir into the channel to increase thermal conductivity between the interior of the compartment and the exterior of the compartment, and allows a gas with low thermal conductivity to be present within the channel when the channel does not contain the liquid to decrease thermal conductivity between the interior of the compartment and the exterior of the compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Michael J. Andres
  • Patent number: 8973650
    Abstract: A system, including a superconductive heat transfer assembly, including, a first superconductive heat transfer pipe, a second superconductive heat transfer pipe, and a superconductive heat transfer contact switch configured to open and close a gap between the first superconductive heat transfer pipe and the second superconductive heat transfer pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harish Chandra Dhingra, Donald Gordon Laing
  • Publication number: 20150003008
    Abstract: Thermally actuated vents for electronic devices. An embodiment of an apparatus includes a vent having a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is an open position and the second position is a closed position; a muscle wire, a first end of the muscle wire being coupled with a connection to the vent and a second end of the muscle wire being coupled with an anchor point; and a tension element, a first end of the tension element being coupled with the vent at a connection point. The muscle wire is to apply a force to the vent to move the vent to the open position upon the muscle wire entering a contracted state, and the tension element pulling the vent to the closed position upon the muscle wire entering a relaxed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Denica N. Larsen, Prosenjit Ghosh
  • Patent number: 8910706
    Abstract: An apparatus for cooling a heat-generating component is disclosed. The apparatus includes a cooling chamber containing a liquid metal. The cooling chamber has a heat-conducting wall thermally coupled to the heat-generating component. A plurality of extendable tubes making up an array of cooling pin fins is attached to the cooling chamber. Each of the extendable tubes has a port end that opens into the cooling chamber and a sealed end that projects away from the cooling chamber. Moreover, each of the extendable tubes has an extended position when filled with liquid metal from the cooling chamber and a retracted position when emptied of the liquid metal. A pump system is included for urging the liquid metal from the cooling chamber into the plurality of extendable tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Don Alan Gilliland, Maurice Francis Holahan, Cary Michael Huettner
  • Publication number: 20140303831
    Abstract: A cooling system according to an exemplary embodiment may include a heat generation device that is cooled by a coolant solution that exchanges heat with the heat generation device to maintain the heat generation device at a required temperature. More specifically, the cooling system includes a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the coolant solution, a conductivity sensor that detects the conductivity of the coolant solution, and a controller that uses coolant solution temperature and coolant solution conductivity that are detected through the temperature sensor and the conductivity sensor to determine a condition of the coolant solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Gi Young Nam, Minkyu Lee
  • Patent number: 8757250
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a temperature of a device. The apparatus includes a body (500) having a plurality of chambers (630) spaced substantially symmetrically about an axis of the body (500), wherein each of the plurality of chambers (630) comprises an upper diaphragm (635) and a lower diaphragm (640). The apparatus also includes a heat transfer element (515) attached to the body (500) via the plurality of chambers (630) such that the plurality of chambers (630) is in fluid communication with the heat transfer element (515).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventor: Larry Stuckey
  • Patent number: 8739859
    Abstract: Reversible thermal rectifiers for selectively controlling the direction of heat flow include a plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects disposed in a fluid medium, wherein each of the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects include a refractive side and a reflective side such that heat flows past the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects when approaching from the refractive side, and heat is reflected from the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects when approaching from the reflective side, and a bidirectional field actuator system that selectively orients the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects between a first orientation, wherein the reflective sides of the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects face a first direction, and a second orientation, wherein the reflective sides of the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects face a second direction, substantially opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Paul Rowe
  • Patent number: 8659903
    Abstract: A device has a passive cooling device having a surface, at least one active cooling device on the surface of the passive cooling device, and a thermal switch coupled to the passive cooling device, the switch having a first position that connects the active cooling device to a path of high thermal conductivity and a second position that connects the passive cooling device to the path of high thermal conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventor: David Eric Schwartz
  • Patent number: 8656989
    Abstract: A modified isogrid panel including face sheets and underlying longitudinal and transverse ribs which stiffen the panel. The ribs are hollow to provide fluid channels for distributing fluid to various sections of each face sheet. A valve at each node where ribs intersect controls or reroutes fluid flow through the fluid channels in the ribs. The ribs are the primary fluid distributors and are fluidly connected to capillary channels located beneath the surface of each face sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Andrew D. Williams, Brandon J. Arritt, M. Eric Lyall
  • Publication number: 20130186612
    Abstract: A method is presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8477500
    Abstract: A locking device providing thermal management for an electrical assembly board is described and includes a fluid-permeable member saturated with a fluid and disposed between the electrical assembly board and a heat sink; a pair of locking device substrates substantially orthogonal to the electrical assembly board and the heat sink; and an actuator coupled to at least one of the locking device substrates. The fluid-permeable member is disposed between the locking device substrates. The actuator is configured to compress the fluid-permeable member by at least one of the locking device substrates forcing a portion of the fluid out of the fluid-permeable member and forming at least one fluid contact interface with the electrical assembly board and the heat sink in a reversible process. A method for making a locking device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tao Deng, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Hendrik Pieter Jacobus de Bock, Boris Alexander Russ
  • Patent number: 8464783
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and arrangement of optimizing the level of anti freeze agent in a heat transfer fluid in a heat exchange system The method comprises determining (305) a wanted level of anti freeze agent at least partly based on the temperature of the media to which the heat exchange system will deliver heat, controlling (310) the current level of the anti freezing agent in the heat transfer fluid. Anti freezing agent is added 315:1 to the heat transfer fluid if the current level is a predetermined amount lower than the wanted level, and removed 315:2 from the heat transfer fluid if the current level is a predetermined amount higher than the wanted level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Inventor: Mikael Nutsos
  • Patent number: 8443874
    Abstract: A heat dissipating structure and a portable device are provided, which enable that heat is dissipated from a heat generating part without causing a user to feel discomfort. A heat transfer member is configured to transfer heat generated in a heat generating body and a thermal storrage unit is thermally connected to the heat transfer member. The thermal storrage unit includes a pack with stretching property and a thermal storrage medium which is filled in the pack and a volume of which changes with a change in temperature. The pack is arranged such that there is a gap between the pack and a first heat dissipating portion at normal temperature and the pack contacts the first heat dissipating portion when the thermal storrage medium expands with a change in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Mikami
  • Publication number: 20130071718
    Abstract: Disposed is a heat dissipation plate, which is an interface plate interposed between a plurality of battery cells, can respond to changes in volume of the battery cells, and can effectively dissipate heat accumulated in the battery cells, and a battery module having the same. To this end, the heat dissipation plate includes a porous metal foam plate formed by foaming and having a plate shape. A sheet plate is stacked on both sides of the metal foam plate. When the battery cells expand, the metal foam plate is compressed by the expansion of the battery cells, thereby responding to changes in volume of the battery cells and improving heat dissipation performance by air cooling due to increased specific surface area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jeong Min CHO, Gun Goo LEE, Na Ry SHIN, Jin Woo KWAK
  • Publication number: 20130014928
    Abstract: An method of controlling thermal transfer between a first structure and a second structure may include a signal at a thermal switch. In response to receiving the signal at the thermal switch, a rotating plate may be rotated into one or more positions adjacent to a fixed plate to facilitate radiative thermal transfer between the rotating plate and the fixed plate. The rotating plate and the fixed plate may be in thermally conductive contact with respective ones of the first structure and the second structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Gary D. Grayson, Mark W. Henley
  • Patent number: 8286696
    Abstract: A method of controlling thermal transfer between a first structure and a second structure includes sending a command signal to a thermal switch and actuating an electric motor in response to receiving the signal. The electric motor may move a first thermally conductive member toward and/or in contact with a second thermally conductive member. The first and second thermally conductive member may be in thermally conductive contact with respective ones of the first and second structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Gary D. Grayson, Mark W. Henley
  • Publication number: 20120168141
    Abstract: A container data center includes a container, a group of server systems located in the container; a hot aisle and a cold aisle formed at two opposite sides of one group of server systems, a fan apparatus located at a top of the hot aisle, a heat exchanger located adjacent to the fan apparatus and opposite to the hot aisle; a cold airflow buffering area formed at a top of the cold aisle, and blades located below the cold airflow buffering area. Fan apparatus draws in hot airflow from hot aisle into the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger transforms the hot airflow into cold airflow and exhausts the cold airflow into the cold aisle through the cold airflow buffering area and the blades. Swinging angles of the blades are adjusted according to wind speeds of the cold airflow through the blades to obtain a uniform flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: TAI-WEI LIN
  • Patent number: 8205443
    Abstract: A heat exchanging system suitable for use in an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) circuit comprises a split EGR heat exchanger arrangement. Exhaust gas is used to warm engine oil via a first heat exchanger during initial stages of an engine operating cycle. In the later stages of the operating cycle, recirculated exhaust gases are diverted to flow through the second heat exchanger where they are cooled by the engine coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Ian Graham Pegg, Roland Stark
  • Publication number: 20120017564
    Abstract: A system, including a superconductive heat transfer assembly, including, a first superconductive heat transfer pipe, a second superconductive heat transfer pipe, and a superconductive heat transfer contact switch configured to open and close a gap between the first superconductive heat transfer pipe and the second superconductive heat transfer pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Harish Chandra Dhingra, Donald Gordon Laing
  • Patent number: 8025097
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a method for setting and controlling temperature of a device that includes: (a) thermally contacting the device to a heat transfer apparatus, the heat transfer apparatus having an apparatus intake to receive thermal transfer fluid, an apparatus exhaust to output thermal transfer fluid, and a conduit to conduct thermal transfer fluid from the apparatus intake to the apparatus exhaust through the heat transfer apparatus; (b) flowing a first thermal transfer fluid in a first thermal control circuit at a first temperature, and flowing a second thermal transfer fluid in a second thermal control circuit at a second temperature; (c) at a first predetermined time, directing the first thermal transfer fluid to flow to the apparatus intake, and from the apparatus exhaust back to the first thermal control circuit and the second thermal transfer fluid to flow in the second thermal control circuit without flowing to the apparatus intake; and (d) at a second predetermined time, di
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Centipede Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter T. Di Stefano, Thomas H. Di Stefano
  • Patent number: 8011424
    Abstract: A convective heat transfer system for use with a fluid with particles, including a fluid channel having a wall and being capable of transferring the fluid, and a field emitter operable to emit a time-varying field into the fluid channel such that, when the fluid is in the channel, the time varying field affects a portion of the particles to change the rate of heat transfer between the channel and the fluid. The fluid can be a slurry with suspended field reactive particles. The system can include a plurality of field emitters located along the walls of the fluid channel, to vary the field and manipulate the distribution of the particles within the slurry, thereby changing the heat transfer characteristics of the system. The field can be an electric field or a magnetic field. The fluid channel can be disposed in a heat transfer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Mark M Murray
  • Publication number: 20110168378
    Abstract: The invention is comprised of one or more variably conductive thermal switches. The thermal switches are sandwiched between two thermal conductors (e.g., heat pipes). Within each thermal switch is an array of micro-switches with a number of finger-like structures that are electrically actuated to form one or more thermal connection between two thermally conductive layers. The net thermal conductance of the switch is scalable based on the number of activated micro-switches. By changing the thermal conductance between the source and the sink, the temperature of the source may be adjusted based on the needs of the system in which it is employed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: Irvine Sensors Corporation
    Inventor: Ying Hsu
  • Publication number: 20110114304
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the hydraulic compensation and control of a heating and cooling system. The system comprises at least one pump and a plurality of lines respectively comprising a compensation and control valve and a load. The method for compensation and control consists of the following steps: a control value for each of the compensation and control valves is determined for which the predetermined discharge values are reached in each line; a control range of each compensation and control valve is defined as the difference between the determined control value and the position when the compensation and control valve is closed; and the signal control range of one each of the compensation and control valves is represented in the newly defined control range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventor: Urs Keller
  • Patent number: 7913752
    Abstract: A cooling system for a vacuum processing apparatus is provided with an internal heat conduction path for transfer of heat entering the subject body through the vacuum processing apparatus, a heat radiation path for radiation of the heat to an outside of the vacuum processing apparatus and a heat conduction path for regulation of quantity of heat transfer between the internal heat conduction path and the heat radiation path. Preferably, a heat pipe is applied to the internal heat conduction path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Ueda, Yoshimi Watabe, Shusaku Yamasaki, Kazuo Miyoshi, Hiroyuki Otsuka
  • Patent number: 7882891
    Abstract: A precision surface plate has a hollow casing with a reference plane used as a surface on which either or both of a workpiece and mechanical equipment are placed, a honeycomb structure, which is a collection of substantially identically-shaped enclosed cells disposed inside the casing, and a heat transfer device provided in the honeycomb structure to allow cells of the honeycomb structure to communicate with each other and transfer heat. The precision surface plate further includes casing ventilation openings provided in a wall of the casing to allow cells of the honeycomb structure inside the casing to communicate with the outside of the casing, and a shutter for opening and closing the casing ventilation openings. The heat is transferred effectively between the cells of the honeycomb structure through the heat transfer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20110000188
    Abstract: A heat exchanging system suitable for use in an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) circuit comprises a split EGR heat exchanger arrangement. Exhaust gas is used to warm engine oil via a first heat exchanger during initial stages of an engine operating cycle. In the later stages of the operating cycle, recirculated exhaust gases are diverted to flow through the second heat exchanger where they are cooled by the engine coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ian Graham Pegg, Roland Stark
  • Publication number: 20100294476
    Abstract: An automatic temperature regulating device for controlling the flow of a cooling gas through a conduit. The device consists of a plurality of flaps connected to the conduit and made of a shape memory alloy, whereby when in the austenite phase said flaps are in a relatively open state and when in the martensite phase said flaps are in a relatively closed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Inventors: David Gorni, Eilon Faran, Leonid Rubinson, Joseph Flomenblit
  • Publication number: 20100175392
    Abstract: Provided are electrocaloric devices, pyroelectric devices and methods of forming them. A device which can be a pyroelectric energy generator or an electrocaloric cooling device, can include a first single-layer heat engine having a first side configured to be in contact with a first reservoir and a second side configured to be in contact with a second reservoir, wherein the first reservoir comprises a fluid. The device can also include a second single-layer heat engine having a first side in contact with the first reservoir and a second side in contact with a third reservoir and a channel disposed between the first single-layer heat engine and the second single-layer heat engine, the channel configured to transport the fluid from a first end to a second end. The device can further include one or more power supplies configured to apply voltages to the first and the second single-layer heat engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Kevin J. Malloy, Richard I. Epstein
  • Patent number: 7752866
    Abstract: A thermal conduction switch includes a thermally-conductive first member having a first thermal contacting structure for securing the first member as a stationary member to a thermally regulated body or a body requiring thermal regulation. A movable thermally-conductive second member has a second thermal contacting surface. A thermally conductive coupler is interposed between the first member and the second member for thermally coupling the first member to the second member. At least one control spring is coupled between the first member and the second member. The control spring includes a NiTiFe comprising shape memory (SM) material that provides a phase change temperature <273 K, a transformation range <40 K, and a hysteresis of <10 K. A bias spring is between the first member and the second member. At the phase change the switch provides a distance change (displacement) between first and second member by at least 1 mm, such as 2 to 4 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajan Vaidyanathan, Vinu Krishnan, William U. Notardonato
  • Patent number: 7755899
    Abstract: The present invention is a thermally controlled switch with high thermal or electrical conductivity. Microsystems Technology manufacturing methods are fundamental for the switch that comprises a sealed cavity formed within a stack of bonded wafers, wherein the upper wafer comprises a membrane assembly adapted to be arranged with a gap to a receiving structure. A thermal actuator material, which preferably is a phase change material, e.g. paraffin, adapted to change volume with temperature, fills a portion of the cavity. A conductor material, providing a high conductivity transfer structure between the lower wafer and the rigid part of the membrane assembly, fills another portion of the cavity. Upon a temperature change, the membrane assembly is displaced and bridges the gap, providing a high conductivity contact from the lower wafer to the receiving structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: ÅAC Microtec AB
    Inventor: Lars Stenmark
  • Patent number: 7743763
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an assembly having bodies of different thermal expansion rates comprises a first body, a second body having a different thermal expansion rate than the first body, and a plurality of high conductivity members attached to both the first and second bodies. The high conductivity members are more flexible than the first and second bodies in order to allow for varied thermal expansion of the first and second bodies. The assembly may comprise a solar collector assembly, wherein the first body is a solar cell attached to a substrate, and the second body is a heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Grip, Blaine K. Rawdon, Gurpreet S. Jalewalia
  • Publication number: 20100037624
    Abstract: In accordance with the invention, there are electrocaloric devices, pyroelectric devices and methods of forming them. A device which can be a pyroelectric energy generator or an electrocaloric cooling device, can include a first reservoir at a first temperature and a second reservoir at a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature. The device can also include a plurality of liquid crystal thermal switches disposed between the first reservoir and the second reservoir and one or more active layers disposed between the first reservoir and the second reservoir, such that each of the one or more active layers is sandwiched between two liquid crystal thermal switches. The device can further include one or more power supplies to apply voltage to the plurality of liquid crystal thermal switches and the one or more the active layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: Richard I. EPSTEIN, Kevin J. Malloy
  • Publication number: 20100025022
    Abstract: A fan assembly for use in an electronic device is provided. The fan assembly includes a housing, a fan, a throttle valve, and a regulator. The housing has an outlet. The fan is disposed in the housing and adapted to provide an air current. The air current generates an air volume through the outlet. The throttle valve is movably disposed in the housing at the outlet. The regulator is connected to the throttle valve to control the movement of the throttle valve to adjust the size of the outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: COMPAL ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chiwei Tien, Chun-Hung Lin, Chien-Ming Su, Wen-Yu Wu, Min-Yuan Lin
  • Publication number: 20100012311
    Abstract: A device comprises equipment (101) with a heat source, a cold part (102) relative to the equipment, and a thermal conductor element (103) capable of conducting the heat from the equipment to the cold part. The element (103) is such that, under certain thermal conditions above a given thermal condition, the equipment and the cold part are essentially thermally isolated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: Airbus France
    Inventors: Emile Colongo, Stephane Ortet
  • Publication number: 20100011783
    Abstract: A cryotrap which is set in a vacuum vessel, and has an exhaust panel which condenses and exhausts a gas by cooling, and a cooling stage which is connected to a refrigerator and thereby cooled, includes a cooling storage body fixed on a cooling stage while maintaining thermal contact with it, and a mechanism which thermally connects/disconnects the cooling storage body 6 and the exhaust panel. The mechanism which performs thermal connection/disconnection has a movable unit which has a good heat conductivity and can come into contact with and separate from the exhaust panel and the cooling storage body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: CANON ANELVA TECHNIX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Aoki, Takahiro Okada, Hisayoshi Komai, Isao Mochizuki, Tokumitsu Arai