3330 results about "Thermal transfer" patented technology

Methods for delivery and deploying a stent formed of a shape memory alloy to a desired position in a tubular area of the body, and/or for repositioning and/or retrieving a stent formed of a two-way shape memory alloy. An arrangement is provided by which the temperature of the stent is locally adjusted during delivery, repositioning and/or retrieval in a safe and controlled manner by engagement with an expandable and collapsible thermal transfer member situated on a catheter assembly.

A showerhead for distributing gases in a semiconductor process chamber. In one embodiment, a showerhead comprising a perforated center portion, a mounting portion circumscribing the perforated center portion and a plurality of bosses extending from the mounting portion each having a hole disposed therethrough is provided. Another embodiment of the invention provides a showerhead that includes a mounting portion having a first side circumscribing a perforated center portion. A ring extends from the first side of the mounting portion. A plurality of mounting holes are disposed in the mounting portion radially to either side of the ring. The showerhead provides controlled thermal transfer between the showerhead and chamber lid resulting in less deposition on the showerhead.

The invention is a method for controllably cooling at least a portion of a part-cake from a laser sintering system to minimize cool down time, maximize throughput, and minimize thermal gradients within the part-cake. The method generally comprises forming one or more thermal transfer channels within the part-cake. The thermal transfer channels can include ducts and cooling fins in the part-cake surrounding the formed part. The method can further comprise removing unfused powder from the ducts and introducing cooling media into the ducts. The invention also includes a part-cake having thermal transfer channels formed therein and a laser sintering apparatus comprising a part-cake containing cylinder having permanent fittings therein for receiving terminal portions of thermal transfer channels formed in the part-cake.

Nanostructures provide improved contact to augment heat-exchange surfaces of various devices or structures. In one embodiment, an article of manufacture has a body having a heat-exchanging surface and nanostructures disposed on the heat-exchanging surface. The nanostructures are arranged to enhance thermal transfer between said body and an object distinct from said body and may be arranged to form a substantially continuous film. Examples of suitable nanostructures include carbon and/or boron nitride nanotubes, which may be grown on the heat-exchanging surface.

A device includes a first thermally conductive substrate having a first patterned electrode disposed thereon and a second thermally conductive substrate having a second patterned electrode disposed thereon, wherein the first and second thermally conductive substrates are arranged such that the first and second patterned electrodes are adjacent to one another. The device includes a plurality of nanowires disposed between the first and second patterned electrodes, wherein the plurality of nanowires is formed of a thermoelectric material. The device also includes a joining material disposed between the plurality of nanowires and at least one of the first and second patterned electrodes.

Provided is a micro-fluidic heating system, which comprises a micro-fluidic control element for providing a chamber, a flow path and a valve, and a main body for heating the inside of the chamber in contact with the micro-fluidic control element, wherein the micro-fluidic control element consists of an upper substrate for providing the chamber, the flow path and the valve, and a lower substrate as a thin film bonded to the upper substrate, and the main body consists of a membrane in which heating means and suction holes are formed, and support member for supporting the membrane, and the heating means is partially in contact with the lower substrate of the chamber to heat the inside of the chamber, so that thermal transfer efficiency becomes maximized and temperature of each chamber may be independently controlled in the case of configuration having chambers arranged in array.

The present invention relates to inks and more particularly, to fluorescent ink formulations including quantum dots for various printing processes such as inkjet, flexographic, screen printing, thermal transfer, and pens. The inks include one or more populations of fluorescent quantum dots dispersed in polymeric material, having fluorescence emissions between about 450 nm and about 2500 nm; and a liquid or solid vehicle. The vehicle is present in a ratio to achieve an ink viscosity, surface tension effective, drying time and other printing parameters used for printing processes.

A countertop thermoelectric assembly includes a countertop forming a food preparation surface at an upper side thereof, at least one Peltier effect device located below the countertop, a thermal transfer plate located between the countertop and the thermoelectric device, a heat sink in thermal communication with the thermoelectric unit, and a controller to selectively operate the thermoelectric unit to cool and/or warm the food preparation surface formed by the countertop. A first temperature sensor located to provide signals representative of a temperature of the countertop. A second temperature sensor located to provide signals representative of a temperature of the heat sink. A condensation shield is located below the heat sink. A moisture sensor is located to provide signals representative of moisture at the condensation shield. At least one fan is located below the countertop to direct air over the heat sink and/or the condensation shield.

An LED light fixture with enhanced thermal management. The fixture may be in a surface-mounted or a recessed configuration. The LED is attached with thermally-conductive material, such as thermal transfer tape, to a heat sink or housing. The heat sink may comprise a number of cooling fins to radiate heat, as well as a number of openings to promote cooling air flow. A variety of reflector assemblies can be used for different optical and aesthetic configurations. One or more lenses may be used.

A system for the management of thermal transfer in a gas turbine engine includes a heat generating sub-system in operable communication with the engine, a fuel source to supply a fuel, a fuel stabilization unit to receive the fuel from the fuel source and to provide the fuel to the engine, and a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the fuel to transfer heat from the heat generating sub-system to the fuel. A method of managing thermal transfer in an aircraft includes removing oxygen from a stream of a fuel fed to an engine used to drive the aircraft, transferring heat from a heat generating sub-system of the aircraft to the fuel, and combusting the fuel. A system for the thermal management of an aircraft provides for powering the aircraft, supplying a fuel deoxygenating the fuel, and transferring heat between a heat generating sub-system of the aircraft and the fuel.

An apparatus for and method of cooling an electronic module comprising a heat sink enclosure placed directly over a chip or substrate in a flip chip package. The heat sink enclosure has a plurality of cooling fins extending from within the cavity of the enclosure. A liquid sealed inside the enclosure is trapped within a thermal transfer means, preferably a metal wick, which sits directly on a chip or substrate. As the chip or substrate heats up, heat is transferred to the thermal transfer means which in turn heats the liquid to its heat of vaporization. The vapors of the liquid rise and condense on the cooling fins and the heat is absorbed by the enclosure and conducted to an outside surface of the enclosure and dissipated. Cooling fins on an exterior surface of the enclosure further reduces the thermal resistance to enhance cooling.

The invention relates to identification documents, and in particular to providing optically variable personalized data to identification documents. In one implementation, we provide an identification document comprising a document layer and a first indicium. The document layer comprises a material capable of being printed by a thermally transferable optically variable ink. The first indicium is printed on the document layer and comprises personalized data and printed to the document layer by a thermally transferred optically variable ink. The first indicium may be printed to the document layer by disposing a thermally transferable optically variable ink in a mass transfer panel of a printer ribbon adapted for use in a dye diffusion thermal transfer printer, and printing the first indicium as part of a mass transfer printing process. The thermally transferred optically variable ink can be selected and printed such that the first indicium has at least one of a luster, shine, sheen, pearlescent appearance, iridescent appearance, and mirror-like appearance. This technology enables the creation of a halftone “mirror image” over a color ghost image to achieve a layered and linked multiple personalization scheme of ID documents.

A printing apparatus, having a housing in which a thermal transfer printhead station and an ink jet printhead station are mounted, is used for printing indica on a medium, such as tickets, tags and the like. The thermal transfer printhead station is used for printing a monochrome colored indicia on the print medium and the ink jet printhead station is used for printing a single monochrome colored indicia or a plurality of monochrome colored indicia on the print medium. A decoupling station is mounted between the thermal transfer printhead station and the ink jet printhead station for accumulating print medium therein. A sensor is associated with the decoupling station for sensing the amount of print medium accumulated therein. In use, the print medium is passed through the thermal transfer printhead station and a monochrome colored indicia is printed thereon. Thereafter, the print medium is accumulated in the decoupling station and when a predetermined amount of print medium is accumulated therein, the print medium is passed to the ink jet printhead station and a plurality of monochrome colored indicia may be printed thereon or a single monochrome colored indicia is printed thereon. The printed-on medium is thereafter ejected from the printing apparatus. A die cutting or severing structure may be provided for die cutting or severing the print medium.

A novel fluid heat transfer agent suitable for use in a closed heat transfer system, for example, wherein energy is transferred between an evaporator and a condenser in heat exchange relationship with the heat transfer agent that is caused to flow from one to the other. The novel heat transfer agent is a complex comprising a body of heat transfer fluid, for example, ethylene glycol or water, having suspended therein carbon nanoparticles in a quantity sufficient to enhance the thermal conductivity of the body of heat transfers fluid, per se. The carbon nanoparticles are selected from carbon in the form of sp2 type and sp3 type bonding and preferably comprise nanotubes or fullerenes and may have a coupling agent bonded thereto or enclosed therein when the nanotube or fullerene forms a hollow capsule. The coupling agent may be a polar organic group covalently bonded to the carbon nanoparticles and miscible in the fluid medium.

A cold plate assembly consisting of a thermally conductive base component with an insert having a high thermal transfer characteristic adapted for contacting the surface of a heat source on one side. The surface of the base component opposite from the insert is surrounding by a housing defining an enclosed volume through with a flow of liquid coolant is directed. Inlet baffles adjacent to a fluid inlet in the housing direct the incoming flow of liquid coolant towards the surface of the base component in proximity to the insert, facilitating an efficient transfer of thermal energy from the heat source to the liquid coolant through the insert and base component. Optional extensions or fins extending into the liquid coolant contained in the enclosed volume from the surface of the base component further facilitate the transfer of thermal energy from the heat source.

Devices and methods for carrying out a chemical or biochemical protocol are disclosed. In one embodiment, the chemical or biochemical protocol is performed by cycling at least one thermal transfer member between at least two temperatures while liquid samples on which the chemical or biochemical protocol is to be performed are continuously moving through at least one temperature regulated zone upon which the at least one thermal transfer member acts. In some embodiments, the device comprises a sample transport member that comprises liquid samples in sample receiving regions. The sample transport member moves the samples continuously through a temperature regulated zone which cycles between at least two temperatures while the liquid samples are moving through a temperature regulated zone on which at least one thermal transfer member acts. In some embodiments, the sample receiving regions comprise wells, hydrophillic films or hydrophillic filaments.

The present invention relates to processes for preparing a stable suspension of carbon nanoparticles in a thermal transfer fluid to enhance thermal conductive properties, viscosity, and lubricity. One process is to disperse carbon nanoparticles directly into a thermal transfer fluid and other additives in the present of surfactants with intermittent ultrasonication. The second process is carried out in three stages. First, carbon nanoparticles are dispersed into a volatile solvent. Then, a thermal transfer fluid, surfactants, and other additives are added into this intermediate dispersion and mixed thoroughly. At last, the volatile solvent is removed to produce a uniformly dispersed nanofluid. The third process is to disperse carbon nanoparticles at an elevated temperature into a homogeneous mixture of surfactants and other additives in a thermal transfer fluid with help of a physical agitation. The present invention also relates to compositions of carbon nanoparticle nanofluids, such as nanolubricants and nanogreases. The nanofluid of the present invention is a dispersion of carbon nanoparticles, particularly carbon nanotubes, in a thermal transfer fluid in the present of surfactants. Addition of surfactants significantly increases the stability of nanoparticle dispersion. For nanogreases, carbon nanoparticles function both as a thickener to modulate viscosity and as a solid heat transfer medium to enhance thermal conductivity and high temperature resistance.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a stable suspension of carbon nanoparticles in a hydrophilic thermal transfer fluid to enhance thermal conductive properties and other characteristics such as freezing point of an antifreeze coolant. The process involves the step of dispersing carbon nanoparticles directly into a mixture of a thermal transfer fluid and other additives in the present of surfactants with intermittent ultrasonication. The present invention also relates to the composition of a hydrophilic nanofluid, which comprises carbon nanoparticles, particularly carbon nanotubes, a hydrophilic thermal transfer fluid, and at least one surfactant. Addition of surfactants significantly increases the stability of nanoparticle dispersion.

Systems, methods, and computer-implemented embodiments consistent with the inventions herein are directed to storing and/or transferring heat. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a system for transferring/storing heat comprised of a heat exchange/storage apparatus including a chamber, and a heat input device adapted to heat/provide a vapor into the chamber. Other exemplary implementations may include one or more features consistent with a heat output device through which a working medium/fluid passes, a thermal storage medium located within the chamber, and/or a heat exchange system that delivers a heat exchange medium/fluid to the thermal storage medium.

The invention pertains to on demand printers such as thermal transfer, ink jet, laser, impact, and the like. More particularly, the invention discloses printers and methods for depositing an ultraviolet curable ink onto a printable item, and curing the ink with ultraviolet radiation emitted from the device. The ultraviolet light may be emitted from a curing station which is integral with or remotely connected to the printing apparatus.

The present invention relates to fuel cells and components used within a fuel cell. Heat transfer appendages are described that improve fuel cell thermal management. Each heat transfer appendage is arranged on an external portion of a bi-polar plate and permits conductive heat transfer between inner portions of the bi-polar plate and outer portions of the bi-polar plate proximate to the appendage. The heat transfer appendage may be used for heating or cooling inner portions of a fuel cell stack. Improved thermal management provided by cooling the heat transfer appendages also permits new channel field designs that distribute the reactant gases to a membrane electrode assembly. Flow buffers are described that improve delivery of reactant gases and removal of reaction products. Single plate bi-polar plates may also include staggered channel designs that reduce the thickness of the single plate.