Rini Technologies, Inc.

University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc

Other

Louis Chow

Daniel P Rini

Jayanta Kapat

H Randolph Anderson

Bradley G Carman

Jose Mauricio Recio

Brian Gulliver

Wei E Wu

Jon Harms

Martin Epstein

Ming Su

Benjamin Saarloos

Yang Hu

Xinzhang Wu

Edward T Mahefkey

Hanzhou Liu

Michael Bass

Thomas Xinzhang Wu

Liping Zheng

William U Notardonato

Te-Yuan Chung

Yeong-Ren Lin

Lei Zhou

Krishna M Kota

Xiaoyi Li

Dipjyoti Acharya

Jian Hua Du

The present invention is a high efficiency permanent magnet machine capable of maintaining high power density. The machine is operable over a wide range of power output. The improved efficiency is due in part to copper wires with a current density lower than traditional designs and larger permanent magnets coupled with a large air gap. In a certain embodiment wide stator teeth are used to provide additional improved efficiency through significantly reducing magnetic saturation resulting in lower current. The machine also has a much smaller torque angle than that in traditional design at rated load and thus has a higher overload handling capability and improved efficiency. In addition, when the machine is used as a motor, an adaptive phase lag compensation scheme helps the sensorless field oriented control (FOC) scheme to perform more accurately.

High efficiency permanent magnet machine

The subject invention pertains to a method and apparatus for storing thermal energy. The subject thermal energy storage apparatus can function as a heat absorber in a cooling system. A cooling system can incorporate a cooling cycle that utilizes thermal energy storage and has two coolant loops. The primary cooling loop acquires the waste heat from a heat source, such as an electronic device, by heat transfer to the primary coolant via, for example, a sensible heat process (where sensible heat is heat absorbed or transmitted by a substance during a change in temperature which is not accompanied by a change of state) or by evaporating the primary coolant through a latent heat phase change process. The waste heat absorbed by the primary coolant is transferred to the host material of the heat absorber. The subject invention uses a high thermal conductivity host material to house a lower thermal conductivity phase change material, in order to achieve a thermal energy absorber that has a high effective thermal conductivity. In a specific embodiment, the high thermal conductivity host material has voids within the structure that can be filled by the phase change material. The increased surface area of phase change material in thermal contact with the host material per volume of phase change material allows the thermal energy to be stored or released quickly, because of the enhanced effective thermal conductivity.

Method and apparatus for absorbing thermal energy

A method for manufacturing a heat pipe. Activated particles or particle clusters are formed. The activated particles or particle clusters are contacted with a working fluid in a non-oxidizing environment to form a chemisorbed layer of the working fluid thereon to generate chemisorbed working fluid surfaced activated hydrophilic particles or activated hydrophilic particle clusters which provide a solid-liquid contact angle to working fluid when subsequently added of &#x3c;30 degrees. The chemisorbed working fluid surfaced activated hydrophilic particles or hydrophilic particle clusters are vacuum transferred and filled inside the heat pipe along with an additional volume of working fluid. The heat pipe is then sealed.

Hydrophilic particle enhanced heat exchange and method of manufacture

The subject invention pertains to a method and apparatus for cooling. In a specific embodiment, the subject invention relates to a lightweight, compact, reliable, and efficient cooling system. The subject system can provide heat stress relief to individuals operating under, for example, hazardous conditions, or in elevated temperatures, while wearing protective clothing. The subject invention also relates to a condenser for transferring heat from a refrigerant to an external fluid in thermal contact with the condenser. The subject condenser can have a heat transfer surface and can be designed for an external fluid, such as air, to flow across the heat transfer surface and allow the transfer of heat from heat transfer surface to the external fluid. In a specific embodiment, the flow of the external fluid is parallel to the heat transfer surface. In another specific embodiment, the heat transfer surface can incorporate surface enhancements which enhance the transfer of heat from the heat transfer surface to the external fluid. In another specific embodiment, an outer layer can be positioned above the heat transfer surface to create a volume between the heat transfer surface and the outer layer through which the external fluid can flow.

Method and apparatus for highly efficient compact vapor compression cooling

A heat exchanger includes at least one hot fluid flow channel comprising a first plurality of open cell porous elements having first gaps therebetween for flowing a hot fluid in a flow direction and at least one cold fluid flow channel comprising a second plurality of open cell porous elements having second gaps therebetween for flowing a cold fluid in a countercurrent flow direction relative to the flow direction. The thermal conductivity of the porous elements is at least 10 W/m&#xb7;K. A separation member is interposed between the hot and cold flow channels for isolating flow paths associated these flow channels. The first and second plurality of porous elements at least partially overlap one another to form a plurality of heat transfer pairs which transfer heat from respective ones of the first porous elements to respective ones of the second porous elements through the separation member.

Thermally conductive porous element-based recuperators

A heat pipe includes a sealed thermally conductive casing having a length that has a first end for coupling to a heat source to be cooled and a second end for coupling to a heat sink opposite the first end. The casing has an inside surface that defines a thermal control volume above. The thermal control volume includes (i) a plurality of hydrophilic particles or clusters of hydrophilic particles in a size range from nano size to micron size attached as a hydrophilic film to the inside surface or to a wick on the inside surface, wherein the plurality of hydrophilic particles occupy only a portion of an area of the inside surface or an internal pore space of the wick or a surface area of the wick, (ii) a vapor cavity above the hydrophilic film or the wick, and (iii) a heat transfer working fluid contained as a liquid on the hydrophilic film or the wick, and as a vapor in the vapor cavity. The plurality of hydrophilic particles or clusters of hydrophilic particles provide a solid-liquid contact angle for the working fluid when in a liquid state of &#x3c;30 degrees, typically &#x3c;10 degrees.

Hydrophilic particle enhanced phase change-based heat exchange

A high speed centrifugal compressor for compressing fluids includes a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) having a hollow shaft, the being supported on its ends by ball bearing supports. A permanent magnet core is embedded inside the shaft. A stator with a winding is located radially outward of the shaft. The PMSM includes a rotor including at least one impeller secured to the shaft or integrated with the shaft as a single piece. The rotor is a high rigidity rotor providing a bending mode speed of at least 100,000 RPM which advantageously permits implementation of relatively low-cost ball bearing supports.

Miniature high speed compressor having embedded permanent magnet motor

The subject invention pertains to a method and apparatus for high heat flux heat transfer. The subject invention can be utilized to transfer heat from a heat source to a coolant such that the transferred heat can be effectively transported to another location. Examples of heat sources from which heat can be transferred from include, for example, fluids and surfaces. The coolant to which the heat is transferred can be sprayed onto a surface which is in thermal contact with the heat source, such that the coolant sprayed onto the surface in thermal contact with the heat absorbs heat from the surface and carries the absorbed heat away as the coolant leaves the surface. The surface can be, for example, the surface of an interface plate in thermal contact with the heat source or a surface integral with the heat source. The coolant sprayed onto the surface can initially be a liquid and remain a liquid after absorbing the heat, or can in part or in whole be converted to a gas or vapor after absorbing the heat. The coolant can be sprayed onto the surface, for example, as a stream of liquid after being atomized, or in other ways which allow the coolant to contact the surface and absorb heat. Once the heat is absorbed by the coolant, the coolant can be transported to another location so as to transport the absorbed heat as well.

Method and apparatus for high heat flux heat transfer

The subject invention pertains to a method and apparatus for storing thermal energy. The subject thermal energy storage apparatus can function as a heat absorber in a cooling system. A cooling system can incorporate a cooling cycle that utilizes thermal energy storage and has two coolant loops. The primary cooling loop acquires the waste heat from a heat source, such as an electronic device, by heat transfer to the primary coolant via, for example, a sensible heat process (where sensible heat is heat absorbed or transmitted by a substance during a change in temperature which is not accompanied by a change of state) or by evaporating the primary coolant through a latent heat phase change process. The waste heat absorbed by the primary coolant is transferred to the host material of the heat absorber. The subject invention uses a high thermal conductivity host material to house a lower thermal conductivity phase change material, in order to achieve a thermal energy absorber that has a high effective thermal conductivity. In a specific embodiment, the high thermal conductivity host material has have voids within the structure that can be filled by the phase change material. The increased surface area of phase change material in thermal contact with the host material per volume of phase change material allows the thermal energy to be stored or released quickly, because of the enhanced effective thermal conductivity.

Growing community of inventors

Orlando, FL, United States of America

Louis Chow