Thin film systems and methods for using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065130-B2
Application number	US-201314894858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2013
Priority date	May 28, 2013
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating a thin film of a fluid are described. In an embodiment, a fluid support structure may be configured to receive a fluid, such as water, at a top surface and to support the fluid over at least a portion of the top surface. Channels may be formed in the top surface of the fluid support structure. Wiper blades may be configured to move over the top surface in contact with at least a portion of the fluid to form the fluid into a thin film. The wiper blades may include protrusions corresponding to the channels. As the wiper blades move over the top surface, the protrusions may move within the channels forming a thin film of the fluid within the channels. According to some embodiments, the fluid support structure may be configured as an evaporation surface configured to facilitate the evaporation of the fluid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thin film system configured to form a thin film of a fluid to promote evaporation of the fluid, the system comprising:
an evaporation structure configured to facilitate evaporation of a fluid on a top surface thereof and within at least one channel formed within the top surface; and
at least one wiper blade comprising at least one protrusion corresponding to the at least one channel, the at least one wiper being configured to move over the top surface with at least a portion of the at least one protrusion moving within the at least one channel, wherein the at least one wiper blade and the at least one protrusion are in contact with at least a portion of the fluid to form a thin film of the fluid on the top surface and within the at least one channel.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises at least one of water, ammonia, refrigeration fluids, hydrocarbons, methanol, ethanol, petroleum distillates, benzene, and toluene.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thin film system is configured as part of one of a heat pipe, a condenser, a vapor chamber, a desalination system, a capillary-pumped loop, a distillation system, a chemical separation system, and an electronics cooling system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thin film system is configured as part of a computing device central processing unit cooling system.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the evaporation structure is configured as a substantially circular structure having a substantially flat top surface, wherein the at least one channel comprises at least one groove concentric with the evaporation structure.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one wiper blade is configured to rotate about a central axis of the evaporation structure.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one wiper blade is configured to rotate at about 5 revolutions per minute to about 500 revolutions per minute.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the evaporation structure is configured as a substantially quadrilateral-shaped structure having a substantially flat top surface.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wiper blade is configured to form a thin film of the fluid having a thickness of about 10 nanometers to about 1 centimeter.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one channel has a depth of about 0.1 millimeters to about 10 centimeters.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one channel has a width of about 0.1 millimeters to about 10 centimeters.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wiper blade comprises at least one of aluminum, steel, and polyvinyl chloride.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wiper blade comprises an elastic sponge edge positioned at a lower portion of the at least one wiper blade in contact with at least a portion of the fluid.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one wiper comprises a porous brush.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the at least one protrusion comprises a porous brush.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wiper blade comprises a plurality of wiper blades.

17. A method of forming a thin film of a fluid to promote evaporation of the fluid, the method comprising:
providing an evaporation structure configured to facilitate evaporation of a fluid on a top surface thereof and within at least one channel formed within the top surface;
providing at least one wiper blade comprising at least one protrusion corresponding to the at least one channel;
receiving the fluid at the evaporation structure;
positioning the at least one wiper blade such that the at least one wiper blade is in contact with at least a portion of the fluid and at least a portion of the at least one protrusion is located within the at least one channel in contact with at least a portion of the fluid; and
moving the at least one wiper blade over the top surface to form a thin film of the fluid on the top surface and within the at least one channel.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising configuring the at least one wiper blade to form the thin film of the fluid having a thickness of about 0.01 millimeters to about 1 centimeter.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein moving the at least one wiper blade over the top surface comprises rotating the at least one wiper blade around a central axis of the evaporation structure.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein moving the at least one wiper blade comprises rotating the at least one wiper blade at about 5 revolutions per minute to about 500 revolutions per minute.

Assignees

• Empire Technology Dev Llc

Inventors

• Wang Hao

Classifications

• B01D5/0024

  Rotating vessels or vessels containing movable parts · CPC title

• B01D1/225 Primary

  with blades or scrapers · CPC title

• C02F1/08

  Thin film evaporation · CPC title

• B01D5/006

  with evaporation or distillation · CPC title

• F28C3/005

  one heat-exchange medium being a solid (F28C3/10 takes precedence) · CPC title