Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080197779 | VARIOUS METHODS, APPARATUSES, AND SYSTEMS THAT USE IONIC WIND TO AFFECT HEAT TRANSFER - A method, apparatus, and system are described for an ionic wind generator. The ionic wind generator may have a first electrode that is elevated off a surface of a device that the ionic wind generator is intended to cool. A first surface of the first electrode is in contact with a first surface of a first post that elevates the first electrode off the surface of the device that the ionic wind generator is intended to cool. The ionic wind generator causes a generation of ions that are then drawn through an interstitial atmosphere from the first electrode to a second electrode to affect a velocity of local flow over the surface of the device between the first electrode and the second electrode. The flow from a forced flow device also affects the velocity of local flow over the surface of the device between the first electrode and the second electrode, | 08-21-2008 |
20090095630 | MICROFLUIDIC PUMPING BASED ON DIELECTROPHORESIS - This paper presents a microfluidic pumping approach using traveling-wave dielectrophoresis (tw-DEP) of microparticles. Flow is generated directly in the microfluidic devices by inducing electromechanical effects in the fluid using microelectrodes. The fluidic driving mechanisms due to the particle-fluid and particle-particle interactions under twDEP are analyzed, and the induced flow field is obtained from numerical simulations. Experimental measurements of the flow velocity in a prototype DEP micropumping device show satisfactory agreement with the numerical predications. | 04-16-2009 |
20090236037 | METHOD OF BONDING CARBON NANOTUBES - A method to bond carbon nanotubes to a surface. The mechanism of this bonding is studied, and shows that intercalation of alkali ions is possibly the central mechanism. Bonding pull-off forces of 4-5 N/cm | 09-24-2009 |
20100112286 | SUPERHYDROPHOBIC SURFACES - Control and switching of liquid droplet states on artificially structured surfaces have applications in the field of microfluidics. The present work introduces the concept of using structured surfaces consisting of non-communicating (closed cell) roughness elements to prevent the transition of a droplet from the Cassie to the Wenzel state (which would result in the irreversible loss of the superhydrophobic non-wetting properties of the surface). The use of non-communicating roughness elements leads to a confinement of the medium under the droplet in its Cassie state. Transition to the Wenzel state on such surfaces many include expulsion of this confined medium, which offers increased resistance to the Wenzel transition unlike surfaces consisting of communicating (open cell) roughness elements. This enhances the robustness of the Cassie state and significantly minimizes the possibility of the Cassie-Wenzel transition under the influence of any external wetting pressure (pressure resulting from self weight of the droplet, dynamic pressure due to droplet impact on the surface, or electrowetting-induced pressure on the droplet). The resistance to the Cassie-Wenzel transition can be further increased by utilizing surfaces with nanostructured (instead of microstructured) non-communicating elements, since the resistance is inversely related to the dimension of the roughness element. The resistance of a surface to the Wenzel transition is measured in terms of the electrowetting (EW) voltage used to trigger this transition. Surfaces with noncommunicating roughness elements (closed cells) exhibited significantly higher voltages to trigger the Wenzel transition than corresponding surfaces with communicating roughness elements. | 05-06-2010 |
20110303541 | CONTROLLED FLOW OF A THIN LIQUID FILM BY ELECTROWETTING - Apparatus and methods for controllably wetting a microstructured surface. | 12-15-2011 |
20130056145 | METHOD OF BONDING CARBON NANOTUBES - A method to bond carbon nanotubes to a surface. The mechanism of this bonding is studied, and shows that intercalation of alkali ions is possibly the central mechanism. Bonding pull-off forces of 4-5 N/cm | 03-07-2013 |
20130075259 | MICROFLUIDIC PUMPING BASED ON DIELECTROPHORESIS - This paper presents a microfluidic pumping approach using traveling-wave dielectrophoresis (tw-DEP) of microparticles. Flow is generated directly in the microfluidic devices by inducing electromechanical effects in the fluid using microelectrodes. The fluidic driving mechanisms due to the particle-fluid and particle-particle interactions under twDEP are analyzed, and the induced flow field is obtained from numerical simulations. Experimental measurements of the flow velocity in a prototype DEP micropumping device show satisfactory agreement with the numerical predications. | 03-28-2013 |
20140192485 | VEHICLES, POWER ELECTRONICS MODULES AND COOLING APPARATUSES WITH SINGLE-PHASE AND TWO-PHASE SURFACE ENHANCEMENT FEATURES - Jet-impingement, two-phase cooling apparatuses and power electronics modules having a target surface with single- and two-phase surface enhancement features are disclosed. In one embodiment, a cooling apparatus includes a jet plate surface and a target layer. The jet plate surface includes a jet orifice having a jet orifice geometry, wherein the jet orifice is configured to generate an impingement jet of a coolant fluid. The target layer has a target surface, single-phase surface enhancement features, and two-phase surface enhancement features. The target surface is configured to receive the impingement jet, and the single-phase surface enhancement features and the two-phase enhancement features are arranged on the target surface according to the jet orifice geometry. The single-phase surface enhancement features are positioned on the target surface at regions associated with high fluid velocity, and the two-phase surface enhancement features are positioned on the target surface at regions associated with low fluid velocity. | 07-10-2014 |
20150068712 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INCREASING BOILING HEAT TRANSFER THEREIN - An apparatus and a method of enhancing boiling heat transfer therein capable of increasing both the critical heat flux and nucleate boiling heat transfer of a working fluid. The method includes placing free particles on a surface so as to define narrow corner gaps and cavities at interfaces between the particles and the surface and heating the surface while the surface is contacted by the working fluid to bring the working fluid to a boil, with the result that bubble nucleation is facilitated and nucleate boiling heat transfer from the surface is increased. | 03-12-2015 |