Circular magnetic field generator and pump with rotating permanent magnet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11739757-B2
Application number	US-202016939401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2020
Priority date	Jul 27, 2020
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A system may include a magnetic shape memory (MSM) element having a longitudinal axis that extends from a first end of the MSM element to a second end of the MSM element. The system may further include a rotatable permanent magnet configured to rotate around an axis of rotation and positioned proximate to the MSM element. The system may also include a first solenoid having a first solenoid axis directed at the rotatable permanent magnet. The system may include a second solenoid having a second solenoid axis directed at the rotatable permanent magnet. A method may include applying a first alternating current (AC) signal to the first solenoid and a second AC signal to the second solenoid to cause the rotatable permanent magnet to rotate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a magnetic shape memory (MSM) element having a longitudinal axis that extends from a first end of the MSM element to a second end of the MSM element;
a rotatable permanent magnet configured to rotate around an axis of rotation and positioned proximate to the MSM element;
a first solenoid having a first solenoid axis directed at the rotatable permanent magnet; and
a second solenoid having a second solenoid axis directed at the rotatable permanent magnet.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pump housing having an inlet and an outlet formed within an inner surface of the pump housing, wherein the MSM element is positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the pump housing and extends from the inlet to the outlet.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a rotating magnetic field produced by the rotatable permanent magnet causes a contracted portion of an MSM element to move from the first end of the MSM element to the second end of the MSM element.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein magnetic fields produced by the first solenoid and the second solenoid cause the rotatable permanent magnet to rotate.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first solenoid axis and the second solenoid axis intersect at an angle of substantially 90°.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to apply a first alternating current (AC) signal to the first solenoid and a second AC signal to the second solenoid, wherein the first AC signal and the second AC signal have a substantially 90° phase difference.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to shift a phase of the first AC signal by substantially 90° to form the second AC signal.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first fixed magnet positioned at the first end of the MSM element; and
a second fixed magnet positioned at the second end of the MSM element.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a magnetic yoke configured to at least partially direct a magnetic field along a magnetic circuit path from the MSM element to the rotating permanent magnet.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising;
a first magnetic core positioned within the first solenoid; and
a second magnetic core positioned within the second solenoid.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more additional solenoids having one or more respective solenoid axes directed at the rotatable permanent magnet.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable permanent magnet is diametrically magnetized.

13. A method comprising:
applying a first alternating current (AC) signal to a first solenoid;
applying a second AC signal to a second solenoid, wherein a first phase of the first AC signal is offset from a second phase of the second AC signal;
in response to magnetic fields produced by the first solenoid and the second solenoid, rotating a rotatable permanent magnet; and
in response to a rotating magnetic field produced by the rotatable permanent magnet, moving a contracted portion of an MSM element from a first end of the MSM element to a second end of the MSM element.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the MSM element is positioned adjacent to an inner surface of a pump housing and extends from an inlet formed within the inner surface of the pump housing to an outlet formed within the inner surface of the pump housing.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
moving a fluid from the inlet to the outlet using the contracted portion of the MSM element.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first solenoid has a first solenoid axis and the second solenoid has a second solenoid axis, and wherein the first solenoid axis and the second solenoid axis intersect at an angle of substantially 90°.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first AC signal and the second AC signal have a substantially 90° phase difference.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
shifting a phase of the first AC signal by substantially 90° to form the second AC signal.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
applying one or more additional AC signals to one or more additional solenoids.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
using a magnetic yoke to direct a magnetic field along a magnetic circuit path from the MSM element to the rotating permanent magnet.

Assignees

• Univ Boise State

Inventors

• Müllner Peter

Classifications

• F04D13/06 Primary

  the pump being electrically driven · CPC title

• F04B19/006

  Micropumps (F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence) · CPC title

• F04B43/043

  Micropumps · CPC title

• G11C11/161

  details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell · CPC title

• H01F1/0308

  with magnetic shape memory [MSM], i.e. with lattice transformations driven by a magnetic field, e.g. Heusler alloys · CPC title