Controllable magnetorheological fluid temperature control device

• US 9,953,755 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• 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): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US14/833,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20170038165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 62276, 6210428, 62 31, 165276
• 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 2013/008 Variable conductance materials; Thermal switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 1/447 characterised by magnetoviscosity, e.g. magnetorheological, magnetothixotropic, magnetodilatant liquids electrorheological fluids C10M171/001
• 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 providing a first current through a first electromagnet disposed about a container holding magnetorheological fluid to generate a first magnetic field such that particles in the magnetorheological fluid align with the first magnetic field to conductively couple a first conductive element to a second conductive element; and providing a second current through a second electromagnet disposed perpendicular to the first electromagnet to generate a second magnetic field perpendicular to the first magnetic field such that the particles in the magnetorheological fluid align with the second magnetic field to conductively uncouple the first conductive member from the second conductive member.

Claims

1. A method of controlling heat transfer, the method comprising:

providing a first current through a first electromagnet disposed about a container holding magnetorheological fluid to generate a first magnetic field such that particles in the magnetorheological fluid align with the first magnetic field to conductively couple a first conductive element to a second conductive element; and

providing a second current through a second electromagnet disposed perpendicular to the first electromagnet to generate a second magnetic field perpendicular to the first magnetic field such that the particles in the magnetorheological fluid align with the second magnetic field to conductively uncouple the first conductive element from the second conductive element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the first current provided to the first electromagnet controls an amount of heat transferred.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first current is reduced in combination with providing the second current through the second electromagnet to conductively uncouple the first conductive element from the second conductive element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first current is reduced to zero.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the second current though the second electromagnet aligns the particles with a direction of the second magnetic field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first current through the first electromagnet aligns the particles in a parallel arrangement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a second current through a second electromagnet comprises:

pulsing the second current during an interruption in the first current provided to the first electromagnet.