Controllable magnetorheological fluid temperature control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11024450-B2
Application number	US-201715815860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2017
Priority date	Aug 5, 2015
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

Method for controlling heat transfer between two objects. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a first current through a first electromagnet disposed about a container holding magnetorheological fluid to generate a first magnetic field such that particles in the magnetorheological fluid align with the first magnetic field to conductively couple a first conductive element to a second conductive element; and providing a second current through a second electromagnet disposed perpendicular to the first electromagnet to generate a second magnetic field perpendicular to the first magnetic field such that the particles in the magnetorheological fluid align with the second magnetic field to conductively uncouple the first conductive member from the second conductive member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
aligning, using a first electromagnet, particles in a magnetorheological fluid to conductively couple a first conductive element to a second conductive element;
moving, using the first electromagnet, the first conductive element towards the second conductive element; and
aligning, using a second electromagnet, the particles in the magnetorheological fluid to conductively uncouple the first conductive element from the second conductive element while the magnetorheological fluid is positioned between the first and second conductive elements.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning, using the first electromagnet, the particles in the magnetorheological fluid regulates an amount of heat transferred through the magnetorheological fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning, using the first electromagnet, the particles comprises providing, via a power source, a first current to the first electromagnet, wherein aligning, using the second electromagnet, the particles comprises providing, via the power source, a second current to the second electromagnet, and wherein the first current is reduced in combination with providing the second current through the second electromagnet to conductively uncouple the first conductive element from the second conductive element.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first current is reduced to zero.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning, using the first electromagnet, the particles comprises providing, via a power source, a first current to the first electromagnet, wherein aligning, using the second electromagnet, the particles comprises providing, via the power source, a second current to the second electromagnet, and wherein providing the second current through the second electromagnet comprises:
pulsing the second current during an interruption in the first current provided to the first electromagnet.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Barron David
• Peterson Chelsie M

Classifications

• F28F13/00 Primary

  Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing (F28F1/00 - F28F11/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• F28F2013/008

  Variable conductance materials; Thermal switches · CPC title

• F28F2013/001

  Particular heat conductive materials, e.g. superconductive elements · CPC title

• H01F1/447

  characterised by magnetoviscosity, e.g. magnetorheological, magnetothixotropic, magnetodilatant liquids (electrorheological fluids C10M171/001) · CPC title

• H01F7/20 Primary

  without armatures (cores H01F3/00; coils H01F5/00 {; shaping metal by applying magnetic forces B21D26/14; electromagnets specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/381}) · CPC title