Controllable magnetorheological fluid temperature control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952006-B2
Application number	US-201514833240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2015
Priority date	Aug 5, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

Method for controlling heat transfer between two objects. In one embodiment, the method includes flowing a current through an electromagnet disposed about a container holding magnetorheological fluid to bias a first conductive element against a first end of the container and a second conductive element against a second end of the container to align particles in the magnetorheological fluid such that first conductive element is conductively coupled to the second conductive element; and reducing the current through an electromagnet such that the first conductive element is biased away from the first end of the container and the second conductive element is biased away from the second end of the container to break the alignment of the particles in the magnetorheological fluid such that the first conductive element is not conductively coupled to the second conductive element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling heat transfer, the method comprising:
flowing a current through an electromagnet disposed about a container holding magnetorheological fluid and biasing a first conductive element against a first end of the container and a second conductive element against a second end of the container to align particles in the magnetorheological fluid such that the first conductive element is conductively coupled to the second conductive element; and
reducing the current through the electromagnet and biasing the first conductive element away from the first end of the container and the second conductive element is biased away from the second end of the container to break the alignment of the particles in the magnetorheological fluid such that the first conductive element is not conductively coupled to the second conductive element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing the current through the electromagnet disposed about the container holding magnetorheological fluid induces stress in a first biasing element to bias the first conductive element and in a second biasing element to bias the second conductive element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the current through the electromagnet disposed about the container holding magnetorheological fluid relaxes a first biasing element to bias the first conductive element away from the first end of the container and a second biasing element to bias the second conductive element away from the second end of the container.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container holding magnetorheological fluid is a flexible container such that biasing the first conductive element against the first end of the container and the second conductive element against the second end of the container constricts the flexible container.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein constricting the flexible container results in the alignment of the particles in the magnetorheological fluid.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein flowing the current through the electromagnet generates a magnetic field parallel to the container.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the current flowed through the electromagnet is reduced when a maximum current input is reached.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Barron David
• Peterson Chelsie M

Classifications

• 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

• F28F13/00 Primary

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

• F28F2013/005

  Thermal joints · CPC title

• H01F7/06

  Electromagnets; Actuators including electromagnets {(electric coils H01F5/00; devices for holding workpieces using electric force B23Q3/15; load-engaging elements for lifting articles electromagnetically B66C1/06; electromagnetic couplings F16D27/00; magnetic brakes F16D63/002; electromagnetically operated valves F16K11/24, F16K31/00; analysing materials by magnetic means G01N27/72, G01N27/80; electromagnets for winding mechanical clocks G04C1/02; electromagnetic relays H01H51/00; windings for salient poles of dynamo-electric machines H02K3/18; electromagnets for telegraphic communication H04L; for arc lamps H05B31/28)} · CPC title

• F28F2013/001

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