TEMPERATURE CONTROL USING COMPOUND CAPABLE OF PHOTOISOMERIZATION

• US 20120130056A1
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Ueda, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,256,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 534/588
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/16 Materials undergoing chemical reactions when used
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0638 Organizing or formatting or addressing of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices

Abstract

Technologies are generally described for controlling temperature using compounds capable of photoisomerization. In some examples, a temperature control apparatus includes a first receiving unit configured to contain a compound capable of photoisomerization, a second receiving unit configured to contain the compound capable of photoisomerization, a first filter configured to pass first light from a first light source, and a second filter configured to pass second light from a second light source. Further, the first and second receiving units are coupled to each other so that the compound capable of photoisomerization may be circulated between the first and second receiving units, and the compound capable of photoisomerization in the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit is photoisomerized by at least one of the first light and the second light.

Claims

1. A temperature control apparatus comprising:

a first receiving unit configured to contain a compound capable of photoisomerization;

a second receiving unit configured to contain the compound capable of photoisomerization;

a first filter configured to pass first light from a first light source; and

a second filter configured to pass second light from a second light source,

wherein the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit are coupled such that the compound capable of photoisomerization is circulated between the first and second receiving units.

2. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compound capable of photoisomerization in the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit is photoisomerized by at least one of the first light and the second light.

3. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compound capable of photoisomerization is photoisomerized from cis-form to trans-form by at least one of the first light and the second light.

4. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compound capable of photoisomerization is photoisomerized from trans-form to cis-form by at least one of the first light and the second light.

7. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first pump configured to circulate the compound capable of photoisomerization between the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit.

8. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second pump configured to circulate the compound capable of photoisomerization between the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit,

wherein the first pump is further configured to pump the compound capable of photoisomerization from the first receiving unit into the second receiving unit, and

wherein the second pump is further configured to pump the compound capable of photoisomerization from the second receiving unit into the first receiving unit.

9. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a photoisomerization checking unit configured to determine that a level of photoisomerization of the compound capable of photoisomerization meets a predetermined level.

10. The temperature control apparatus of claim 9, wherein the photoisomerization checking unit is further configured to measure a temperature of the compound capable of photoisomerization and to determine that the temperature meets a predetermined temperature.

11. The temperature control apparatus of claim 9, wherein the photoisomerization checking unit is further configured to, responsive to determining that the level of photoisomerization of the compound capable of photoisomerization meets the predetermined level, activate a first pump configured to circulate the compound capable of photoisomerization between the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit.

12. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compound capable of photoisomerization comprises at least one of azobenzene, a derivative of azobenzene, stilbene, and a derivative of stilbene.

13. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first light comprises blue light and the second light comprises red light.

14. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first light has a wavelength of about 400 nm and the second light has a wavelength of about 600 nm.

15. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first light source comprises a room illumination and the second light source comprises sunlight.

18. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compound capable of photoisomerization is dissolved in a solvent.

19. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises at least one of an aprotic solvent, an alcoholic solvent, a ketonic solvent, an etheric solvent, an esteric solvent, an aromatic hydrocarbon liquid, a halogenated hydrocarbon liquid, and a cooking oil.

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

20. A temperature control method comprising:

photoisomerizing a compound capable of photoisomerization in a first receiving unit from trans-form to cis-form by first light from a first light source;

photoisomerizing the compound capable of photoisomerization in a second receiving unit from cis-form to trans-form by second light from a second light source;

pumping the photoisomerized compound from the first receiving unit into the second receiving unit; and

pumping the photoisomerized compound from the second receiving unit into the first receiving unit.

21. The temperature control method of claim 20, wherein the first receiving unit and the first light source are configured at an interior of an enclosure and the second receiving unit and the second light source are configured at an exterior of an enclosure.

24. The temperature control method of claim 20, wherein pumping the photoisomerized compound from the first receiving unit into the second receiving unit comprises:

determining that a level of photoisomerization of the compound capable of photoisomerization meets a predetermined level; and

responsive to determining that the level of photoisomerization of the compound capable of photoisomerization meets the predetermined level, pumping the photoisomerized compound from the first receiving unit into the second receiving unit.

27. The temperature control method of claim 20, wherein the first light has a wavelength of about 400 nm and the second light has a wavelength of about 600 nm.

28. The temperature control method of claim 20, wherein the first light source comprises a room illumination and the second light source comprises sunlight.

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

29-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A temperature control method comprising:

photoisomerizing a compound in a first receiving unit by first light, wherein the compound is a compound capable of photoisomerization;

pumping the compound from the first receiving unit into a second receiving unit; and

photoisomerizing the compound in the second receiving unit by second light.

34. The temperature control method of claim 33, wherein pumping the compound from the first receiving unit into the second receiving unit comprises:

determining that a level of photoisomerization of the compound meets a predetermined level; and

responsive to determining that the level of photoisomerization of the compound meets the predetermined level, pumping the compound from the first receiving unit into the second receiving unit.

39. The temperature control method of claim 33, wherein the compound comprises at least one of azobenzene, a derivative of azobenzene, stilbene, and a derivative of stilbene.

41. The temperature control method of claim 33, wherein the first light has a wavelength of about 400 nm and the second light has a wavelength of about 600 nm.

42. The temperature control method of claim 33, wherein the compound capable of photoisomerization is dissolved in a solvent.

43. The temperature control method of claim 42, wherein the solvent comprises at least one of an aprotic solvent, an alcoholic solvent, a ketonic solvent, an etheric solvent, an esteric solvent, aromatic hydrocarbon liquid, halogenated hydrocarbon liquid, and cooking oil.

35-38. -38. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

44. (canceled)

45. (canceled)

46. A temperature control apparatus comprising:

means for photoisomerizing a compound in a first area by first light to absorb heat energy into the compound, wherein the compound is a compound capable of photoisomerization;

means for pumping the compound from the first area to a second area; and

means for photoisomerizing the compound in the second area by second light to release the heat energy from the compound.

47. The temperature control apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for pumping the compound from the first receiving unit into the second receiving unit comprise:

means for determining that a level of photoisomerization of the compound meets a predetermined level; and

means for, responsive to determining that the level of photoisomerization of the compound meets the predetermined level, pumping the compound from the first receiving unit into the second receiving unit.

48. The temperature control apparatus of claim 46, further comprising means for filtering at least one of the first light and the second light.

49-58. -58. (canceled)