Cooling a target using electrons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9933189-B2
Application number	US-201514731688-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2015
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method includes, impinging a plurality of particles on a target such that electrons are emitted from the target and transporting the electrons from the target to a heat sink through a transporting medium. The target and the heat sink may be separated by a distance. The method further includes cooling the electrons using the heat sink and returning the electrons from the heat sink to the target.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
impinging a plurality of particles on a target such that electrons are emitted from the target;
transporting the electrons from the target to a heat sink through a transporting medium, wherein the target and the heat sink are separated by a distance;
cooling the electrons using the heat sink;
receiving a temperature of the target; and
controlling flow of the electrons from the heat sink back to the target based at least in part on the received temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target comprises a leading edge of a wing of an aerial vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target comprises an electrically emissive material.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional area of the heat sink to a cross-sectional area of the target is greater than one.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprise air.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprise a plurality of protons.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrons are returned from the heat sink to the target using a wired connection.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles are impinged on the target using a particle accelerator.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the heat sink using a coolant.

Assignees

• Allen Edward Henry
• Uribarri Luke Alexander
• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Allen Edward Henry
• Uribarri Luke Alexander

Classifications

• F25B21/00 Primary

  Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects · CPC title

• F25B2321/003

  by using thermionic electron cooling effects · CPC title

• Y02B30/66

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G12B15/06 Primary

  by contact with heat-absorbing or radiating masses, e.g. heat-sink · CPC title

• B64D47/00

  Equipment not otherwise provided for · CPC title