Aavid Laboratories, Inc.

Other

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Richard J Phillips

Ralph I Larson

Victor M Samarov

Alan F Beane

Leon R Glicksman

Lawrence Guzowski

In embodiments of the invention, a wheeled dredging head is configured to operate in a stand-alone condition, with the addition of a water jet assembly, and/or with the addition of an adapter at an intake of the dredging head. In one embodiment, the adapter is configured to vacuum the floor of a body of water. In another embodiment, the adapter is configured to remove sediment or other material from a sloped surface in a body of water. In yet another embodiment, the adapter is configured to remove sediment or other material from around obstacles in a body of water.

Dredging head apparatus

In embodiments of the invention, a dredging head assembly uses vacuum only, or a combination of vacuum and flexible PVC tines, rather than the harsh digging and/or scraping features of conventional dredging equipment. Embodiments of the invention also provide a dredging head assembly that may be used in very shallow water. An embodiment of the invention includes a hose and wand to enable vacuuming around obstacles.

Dredging apparatus

A two-phase cooling system for a portable computer, the system consisting of an evaporator and a condenser that are both included in either the lid or the base of the computer. The two-phase cooling system is positioned proximate to the computer's heat-producing circuitry, such that the system draws liquid coolant past the circuitry and heat is transferred from the circuitry to the coolant. A fan may also be included, to assist in heat rejection from the cooling system. In a preferred embodiment, the cooling system consists of a flattened heat pipe, with a first side operating as the evaporator and a second side operating as the condenser.

Two-phase cooling system for a laptop computer lid

A two-phase liquid cooling system utilizes and evaporator unit for vaporizing a liquid coolant and a condenser unit for condensing the coolant vapor. The unit is capable of operating in at least two orientations: in one orientation, the condenser is located vertically above the evaporator and condensed coolant returns from the condenser to the evaporator under the force of gravity. In another orientation, the evaporator is located vertically above the condenser and the liquid coolant is returned to the evaporator by a stream of bubbles rising in a tube connecting the evaporator and the condenser. The stream of bubbles is produced by a small heater which is operated by a gravity controlled switch. A check valve is provided to insure that the bubble stream moves in the proper direction. The cooling system has at least one wall with sufficient flexibility that the wall expands as the coolant vapor expands thereby maintaining the internal container pressure substantially the same as the ambient environmental pressure.

Computer cooling system operable under the force of gravity in first

An animating device is attached underneath a floating waterfowl decoy that creates rings, ripples, and waves on the water surface emanating from said decoy giving the appearance that said decoy is alive. In accordance with one embodiment of the device, a long, flexible plastic tube is attached or retrofit to the keel of an existing floating decoy. An apparatus, such as a motor driven pump, a pressurized air cylinder, or a hand- or foot-operated bellows air pump supplies air to the tube and a one-way check valve is provided in the end of tube attached to the decoy to prevent water from back-filling the long flexible plastic tube. Air forced through the long flexible plastic tube bubbles out underneath the decoy and the rising bubbles create rings, ripples, and waves on the water surface to give the appearance that the decoy is alive. In another embodiment, the tube is attached to flexible container mounted under the decoy. Air entering the container causes it to expand and tilt the decoy which create rings, ripples, and waves on the water surface to give the appearance that the decoy is alive.

Method and apparatus for animating a floating waterfowl decoy

A heat pipe which is flexible and thus conformable to the space in which it is to be deployed consists of two or three layers, namely, a relatively thin, highly conductive plate as a bottom layer, a plastic sheet as a top layer and wicking as an optional middle layer. The bottom plate has a relatively high modulus of elasticity and it is stiff, yet ductile. It is preferably made of metal, such as aluminum, or a plastic sheet or plate. To manufacture the heat pipe, the bottom and top layers are aligned, with the wicking between them, and sealed together around three edges. Liquid coolant is then added and the fourth edge is sealed. The sealing is preferably performed by heat sealing. The heat pipe may include heat-dissipating fins or ridges on the end of the pipe that operates as a condenser. The opposing end of the pipe, which acts as the evaporator, is positioned proximate to a heat-generating component. In an alternative embodiment, additional layers of plastic and optional wicking are attached to an otherwise exposed surface of the bottom plate. The heat pipe is narrow and can thus be installed in existing space proximate to a heat generating component, flexing and/or elastically deforming as necessary to facilitate installation. Further, the heat pipe can be bent, to conform to the shape of the component.

Flexible heat pipe for integrated circuit cooling apparatus

A liquid crystal (LC) display monitor has a high luminosity light source to provide good visibility in brightly lit areas. To prevent overheating of the LC screen and other components of the monitor, a two-phase cooler is provided. The cooler consists of two translucent, flexible bag-like containers, each conforming to a different side of the light source. A low-boiling point coolant within the containers absorbs heat from the light source and is partially vaporized. The coolant vapor travels from the containers into a condenser which is external to the monitor cabinet. The condenser draws thermal energy out of the coolant vapor, causing it to condense and return to the containers. The containers provide shock absorption to protect the light source, and the containers or the coolant may have light-scattering properties to provide diffusion of the light. Other alternatives include locating the light source within the containers or placing the container in contact with the LC screen rather than with the light source.

Light source cooler for LCD monitor

A two-phase liquid cooling system for an electronic component comprised of flexible sealed bag which is partially filled with a liquid coolant. Sufficient residual non-condensing gas is maintained in the bag so that some of the gas dissolves in the liquid coolant when the device is not operating and at ambient temperature. During warmup, the residual gas comes out of solution and creates nucleation sites that assist in initiating boiling. The bag is air and fluid-impermeable, and has sufficient flexibility such that as coolant vaporizes, the bag expands to maintain the internal bag pressure substantially the same as the ambient environmental pressure. The bag may also be provided with a metal heat spreader plate which passes through a wall of the bag an assists with transferring heat from the component to the coolant. The heat spreader plate may be specially treated to allow the flexible bag material to by directly heat sealed to the plate and to provide nucleation sites to enhance coolant boiling.

Method of making a two-phase thermal bag component cooler

A two-phase liquid cooling system has a container structure that has at least one wall with sufficient flexibility that the wall expands as the coolant vapor expands thereby maintaining the internal container pressure substantially the same as the ambient environmental pressure. Coolant boiling overshoot is reduced by allowing residual gases to remain in the cooling system. More particularly, sufficient residual gas is maintained in the system so that some of the gas dissolves in the liquid coolant when the device is not operating and is at ambient temperature. During warmup, the residual gas comes out of solution and creates nucleation sites that initiate boiling and prevent overshoot. Additional nucleation sites can also be added to reduce overshoot by treating the inside surfaces of the container structure, for example by laser machining, to create nucleation sites.

Two-phase component cooler

A microchannel heat sink used to cool a high power electronic device such as an integrated circuit comprising a plurality of channels in close thermal contact to the integrated circuit and through which a liquid is passed to create either a developing laminar flow or a turbulent flow. The turbulent flow may be either developing or fully developed. The heat sink features a compensation heater surrounding the integrated circuit and heated at the same rate as the integrated circuit to thereby provide a more uniform temperature at the perimeter of the integrated circuit.

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Alachua, FL, United States of America

Richard J Phillips