Thermal switch
The passive thermal switch addresses inefficiencies in current thermal switches by using temperature-dependent mechanical contact and materials with varying thermal expansion or magnetostriction for abrupt switching, enabling efficient and compact thermal management in low-temperature applications.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/EP2025/085376
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-12-03
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-03
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-11
AI Technical Summary
Current thermal switches for temperatures below 100K are either energy-intensive due to strong magnetic fields or inefficient due to high heat capacity and slow switching times, making them unsuitable for miniaturized or on-chip applications.
A passive thermal switch with a flexible support element and contact element that transitions between thermally conductive and non-conductive states based on temperature-dependent mechanical contact, utilizing materials with different thermal expansion coefficients or magnetostrictive properties to achieve abrupt and efficient switching without external activation.
Enables precise, fast, and energy-efficient thermal conductivity control with minimal heat capacity, allowing miniaturization and integration into electronic circuits or on-chip cryostats, overcoming the limitations of existing technologies.