Controllable magnetorheological fluid temperature control device

• US 10,222,143 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barron, David, Peterson, Chelsie M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruppert, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/820,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20180106560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/00 Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing F28F1/00 - F28F11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2013/001 Particular heat conductive materials, e.g. superconductive elements for thermal joints F28F2013/006
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2013/005 Thermal joints
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2013/008 Variable conductance materials; Thermal switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/06 Electromagnets; Actuators including electromagnets electric coils H01F5/00; devices for holding workpieces using electric force B23Q3/15; load-engaging elements for lifting articles electromagnetically B66C1/06; electromagnetic couplings F16D27/00; magnetic brakes F16D63/002; electromagnetically operated valves F16K11/24, F16K31/00; analysing materials by magnetic means G01N27/72, G01N27/80; electromagnets for winding mechanical clocks G04C1/02; electromagnetic relays H01H51/00; windings for salient poles of dynamo-electric machines H02K3/18; electromagnets for telegraphic communication H04L; for arc lamps H05B31/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/20 without armatures cores H01F3/00; coils H01F5/00 ; shaping metal by applying magnetic forces B21D26/14; electromagnets specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/381

Abstract

Method for controlling heat transfer between two objects. In one embodiment, the method includes flowing a current through an electromagnet disposed about a container holding magnetorheological fluid to bias a first conductive element against a first end of the container and a second conductive element against a second end of the container to align particles in the magnetorheological fluid such that first conductive element is conductively coupled to the second conductive element; and reducing the current through an electromagnet such that the first conductive element is biased away from the first end of the container and the second conductive element is biased away from the second end of the container to break the alignment of the particles in the magnetorheological fluid such that the first conductive element is not conductively coupled to the second conductive element.

Claims

1. A method, the method comprising:

biasing, using an electromagnet, a first conductive element against a first end of a container and a second conductive element against a second end of the container to align particles in a magnetorheological fluid in the container such that the first conductive element is conductively coupled to the second conductive element; and

biasing, using the electromagnet, the first conductive element away from the first end of the container and the second conductive element away from the second end of the container so that the first conductive element is not conductively coupled to the second conductive element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein flowing a current through the electromagnet disposed about the container induces stress in a first biasing element to bias the first conductive element and in a second biasing element to bias the second conductive element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein reducing the current through the electromagnet relaxes the first biasing element to bias the first conductive element away from the first end of the container and relaxes the second biasing element to bias the second conductive element away from the second end of the container.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the container is flexible such that biasing the first conductive element against the first end of the container and the second conductive element against the second end of the container constricts the container.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein constricting the container results in the alignment of the particles in the magnetorheological fluid.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein flowing a current through the electromagnet generates a magnetic field parallel to the container.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reducing a current flowing through the electromagnet to bias the first and second conductive elements when a maximum current input is reached.