Patent · US Active

Thermal oscillator

US9640748B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
8References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 13, 2014
Grant dateMay 2, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 13, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10N10/00
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A thermal oscillator (10) for creating an oscillating heat flux from a stationary spatial thermal gradient between a warm reservoir (20) and a cold reservoir (30) is provided. The thermal oscillator (10) includes a thermal conductor (11) which is connectable to the warm reservoir (20) or to the cold reservoir (30) and configured to conduct a heat flux from the warm reservoir (20) towards the cold reservoir (30), and a thermal switch (12) coupled to the thermal conductor (11) for receiving the heat flux and having a certain difference between two states (S1, S2) of thermal conductance for providing thermal relaxation oscillations such that the oscillating heat flux is created from the received heat flux.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.