Dartmouth College

Popflow, LLC

Eldred Lee

Jifeng Liu

Xiaoxin Wang

David Frederick Bauer

Scott C Mitchell

Can Xu

Hunter Johnstone

Alexandra Payne Hamlin

Alexander Joel Crain

Liam Sean Feeney

A selectively-absorbing material includes a silicone polymer and transition-metal oxide nanoparticles dispersed therein. Each of the transition-metal oxide nanoparticles includes manganese. A solar receiver includes (i) a metal substrate including an etched surface having a microroughness between 0.05 micrometers and two micrometers; (ii) a polymer matrix disposed on the etched surface; and (iii) transition-metal oxide nanoparticles dispersed within the polymer matrix. A method for producing transition-metal oxide nanoparticles includes recrystallizing a plurality of two-element nanoparticles at a temperature between 300 and 700° C. The plurality of two-element nanoparticles includes at least two of (i) copper oxide nanoparticles, (ii) manganese oxide nanoparticles, and (iii) iron oxide nanoparticles. A method for fabricating a selective-absorber includes etching a top surface of a metal substrate; depositing a polymer-matrix composite on the etched top surface; and interdiffusing the polymer-matrix composite and the metal substrate. The polymer-matrix composite includes transition-metal oxide nanoparticles dispersed therein.

Solar receiver, selectively absorbing material, and associated fabrication methods

A bi-stable popper valve and a device for detecting blockage in a flow of a fluid are provided. The valve includes a membrane supporting two conformations: in a first conformation the membrane is convex in relation the upstream fluid, and in a second conformation the membrane can be concave in relation to the upstream fluid, such that in the first conformation the flow of the fluid through the membrane is prevented and in the second conformation the flow of the fluid through the membrane is permitted through a pore defined by the membrane in only the second conformation. The membrane changes from the first conformation to the second responsive to a pressure of the fluid meeting or exceeding an opening pressure value of the membrane. A sensor can detect a shift from the first conformation to the second conformation, indicating a flow, or absence of flow, of the fluid.

Cerebral shunt valve

Growing community of inventors

Hanover, NH, United States of America

Eldred Lee