Nested Bubble Pumps for Compact High-Pressure Fluid Vaporization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional micro-fluidic bubble pumps are limited by size and fluid flow constraints, making them unsuitable for applications requiring high fluid pressures and increased flow volumes without increasing device size.
Innovation Solution
A micro-fluidic device with a semiconductor substrate containing vaporization heaters and bubble pumps with fluid flow paths selected from linear, spiral, or circuitous paths, allowing for compact vaporization and increased pressure without enlarging the device, achieved through supercritical heating and efficient thermal bubble formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If the number of bubble pumps and the length of the bubble pumps are increased to deliver higher fluid pressures and increased flow volumes, then the fluid pressure and flow volume are improved, but the device volume and area required for dispensing liquids increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested bubble pumps where multiple bubble pumps are positioned within or adjacent to each other, sharing common fluid pathways and heating structures. This nesting arrangement allows multiple pumping stages to be compactly integrated, achieving high fluid pressure and volume without proportionally increasing the overall device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional linear or planar bubble pump arrangements to three-dimensional stacked configurations. By utilizing vertical stacking and multi-level positioning of bubble pumps, the design achieves increased pumping capacity in the pressure and flow volume dimensions while maintaining a compact footprint.
2Productivity
If the number of bubble pumps and the length of the bubble pumps are increased to deliver higher fluid pressures and increased flow volumes, then the fluid pressure and flow volume are improved, but the area required for dispensing liquids increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple bubble pumps are nested within a compact footprint, sharing common fluid pathways and heating structures. This nested arrangement enables high fluid flow volume to be achieved without proportionally increasing the dispensing area, as the pumps are vertically or laterally integrated rather than spread out.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs three-dimensional stacking of bubble pumps to achieve increased productivity in the vertical or lateral dimensions rather than expanding the horizontal dispensing area. This dimensional transition allows high flow volumes to be delivered from a compact area.
3Stress or pressure
If conventional bubble pumps are used to move micro quantities of fluid, then fluid can be delivered from supply location to destination, but the device size becomes critical for many applications requiring small size with higher fluid pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested bubble pump configurations where multiple pumping stages are integrated within a compact volume. This nesting allows high fluid pressure to be generated through multiple stages while maintaining a small device size, as the pumps share common structures and pathways rather than requiring separate space for each pump.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional planar bubble pump arrangements to three-dimensional stacked configurations. By utilizing vertical stacking and multi-level positioning, the design achieves high fluid pressure in a compact device size, avoiding the need to increase device length or area.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the compact vaporization of fluids at higher pressures and larger quantities, addressing size limitations and flow constraints of conventional devices, suitable for applications like vapor therapy and e-cigarettes.
Implementation Method 1
Vaporization heaters are then fired to supercritical temperatures to vaporize the fluids
Implementation Method 2
the two or more fluids are vaporized with the at least one vaporization heater
Implementation Method 3
By expanding and collapsing either a bubble with diffusers or bubbles in a coordinated way, a thermal bubble pump can transport liquid through a channel
Implementation Method 4
Several types of thermal bubble pumps are known in the art
Data Source
AI summary
A micro-fluidic device. The device includes a semiconductor substrate attached to a fluid supply source. The substrate contains at least one vaporization heater, one or more bubble pumps for feeding fluid from the fluid supply source to the at least one vaporization heater, a fluid supply inlet from the fluid supply source in fluid flow communication with each of the one or more bubble pumps, and a vapor outlet in vapor flow communication with the at least one vaporization heater. The one or more bubble pumps each have a fluid flow path selected from a linear path, a spiral path, a circuitous path, and a combination thereof from the supply inlet to the at least one vaporization heater.