Fluid transport systems comprising a magnetic shape memory pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12119149-B2
Application number	US-201916659833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Oct 22, 2019
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

A fluid transport system that includes a magnetic shape memory pipe having an input end opposite an output end and an outer surface opposite an inner surface. The inner surface defines an inner diameter of the magnetic shape memory pipe and the magnetic shape memory pipe includes a magnetic shape memory alloy. The fluid transport system further includes one or more magnetic field generating devices surrounding the outer surface of the magnetic shape memory pipe and configured to generate a control magnetic field that, when applied to a region of the magnetic shape memory pipe, alters the inner diameter of the region of the magnetic shape memory pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid transport system comprising:
a magnetic shape memory (MSM) pipe comprising an input end opposite an output end and an outer surface opposite an inner surface, wherein the inner surface defines an inner diameter of the MSM pipe and the MSM pipe comprises an MSM alloy; and
one or more magnetic field generating devices surrounding the outer surface of the MSM pipe and configured to generate a control magnetic field that, when applied to a region of the MSM pipe, alters the inner diameter of the region of the MSM pipe.

2. The fluid transport system of claim 1 , wherein:
the MSM alloy is alterable between a static state and a contracted state;
when the MSM alloy is in the static state, the inner diameter of the MSM pipe is a first inner diameter;
when the MSM alloy is in the contracted state, the inner diameter of the MSM pipe is a second inner diameter; and
the second inner diameter is larger than the first inner diameter.

3. The fluid transport system of claim 2 , wherein the second inner diameter is from 5% to 10% larger than the first inner diameter.

4. The fluid transport system of claim 2 , wherein the MSM alloy is in the contracted state when exposed to a magnetic flux that is greater than or equal to a threshold magnetic flux.

5. The fluid transport system of claim 4 , wherein the control magnetic field comprises a magnetic flux that is greater than or equal to the threshold magnetic flux.

6. The fluid transport system of claim 1 , wherein the MSM alloy comprises Ni—Mn—Ga.

7. The fluid transport system of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic tube surrounding the MSM pipe and positioned between the MSM pipe and the one or more magnetic field generating devices, wherein the magnetic tube is configured to generate a support magnetic field along a length of the MSM pipe.

8. The fluid transport system of claim 7 , wherein:
the MSM alloy is in a contracted state when exposed to a magnetic flux that is greater than or equal to a threshold magnetic flux; and
the support magnetic field comprises a magnetic flux that 1s less than the threshold magnetic flux.

9. The fluid transport system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more magnetic field generating devices comprise a plurality of wire coil sections wrapped around the MSM pipe and disposed along a length of the MSM pipe; and
the plurality of wire coil sections are electrically coupled to one or more current sources.

10. The fluid transport system of claim 9 , wherein when the one or more current sources apply current to an individual wire coil section of the plurality of wire coil sections, the individual wire coil section generates the control magnetic field.

11. The fluid transport system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnetic field generating devices comprise a toroidal magnetic device surrounding the MSM pipe.

12. The fluid transport system of claim 11 , wherein the toroidal magnetic device is coupled to a linear translation device, the linear translation device configured to move the toroidal magnetic device along a length of the MSM pipe.

13. The fluid transport system of claim 1 , further comprising a check valve fluidly coupled to the input end of the MSM pipe.

14. The fluid transport system of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid source fluidly coupled to the input end of the MSM pipe.

15. A method of transporting fluid, the method comprising:
introducing a fluid into an input end of a magnetic shape memory (MSM) pipe, wherein:
the MSM pipe comprises the input end opposite an output end and an outer surface opposite an inner surface;
the inner surface defines an inner diameter of the MSM pipe; and
the MSM pipe comprises an MSM alloy; and

applying a control magnetic field to a first region of the MSM pipe such that the MSM alloy in the first region of the MSM pipe changes from a static state to a contracted state, thereby increasing the inner diameter of the first region of the MSM pipe from a first inner diameter to a second inner diameter and encouraging fluid flow from the input end of the MSM pipe toward the output end of the MSM pipe, wherein the control magnetic field is generated using one or more magnetic field generating devices surrounding the outer surface of the MSM pipe.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising removing the control magnetic field from the first region of the MSM pipe such that the MSM alloy of the first region changes from the contracted state back to the static state thereby decreasing the inner diameter of the first region of the MSM pipe from the second inner diameter back to the first inner diameter.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, subsequent to removing the control magnetic field from the first region of the MSM pipe:
applying the control magnetic field to a second region of the MSM pipe such that the MSM alloy in the second region of the MSM pipe changes from the static state to the contracted state, thereby increasing the inner diameter of the second region of the MSM pipe from the first inner diameter to the second inner diameter and encouraging fluid flow from the input end of the MSM pipe toward the output end of the MSM pipe, wherein the second region is positioned between the first region and the output end of the MSM pipe.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the one or more magnetic field generating devices comprise a plurality of wire coil sections wrapped around the MSM pipe and disposed along a length of the MSM pipe;
the plurality of wire coil sections include a first wire coil section wrapped around the first region of the MSM pipe and a second wire coil section wrapped around the second region of the MSM pipe;
applying the control magnetic field to the first region of the MSM pipe comprises applying a current to the first wire coil section such that the first wire coil section generates the control magnetic field, wherein the current is generated by one or more current sources electrically coupled to the plurality of wire coil sections; and
applying the control magnetic field to the second region of the MSM pipe comprises applying a current to the second wire coil section such that the second wire coil section generates the control magnetic field, wherein the current is generated by the one or more current sources electrically coupled to the plurality of wire coil sections.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the one or more magnetic field generating devices comprise a toroidal magnetic device surrounding the MSM pipe;
applying the control magnetic field to the first region of the MSM pipe comprises positioning the toroidal magnetic device at the first region of the MSM pipe; and
applying the control magnetic field to the second region of the MSM pipe comprises translating the toroidal magnetic device from the first region of the MSM pipe to the second region of the MSM pipe.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the MSM alloy comprises Ni—Mn—Ga.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Pinkelman Brian J
• Rowe Michael P

Classifications

• F04B43/082

  the tubular flexible member being pressed against a wall by a number of elements, each having an alternating movement in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the tubular member and each having its own driving mechanism · CPC title

• H01F1/015

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• G01R33/1207

  Testing individual magnetic storage devices, e.g. records carriers or digital storage elements (functional testing G06F11/00, G06F11/28) · CPC title

• G01R33/24

  for measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux · CPC title

• F04B17/03

  driven by electric motors · CPC title