1914 results about "Heat effect" patented technology

The invention is for an apparatus and method for a refrigerator and a heat pump based on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) offering a simpler, lighter, robust, more compact, environmentally compatible, and energy efficient alternative to traditional vapor-compression devices. The subject magnetocaloric apparatus alternately exposes a suitable magnetocaloric material to strong and weak magnetic field while switching heat to and from the material by a mechanical commutator using a thin layer of suitable thermal interface fluid to enhance heat transfer. The invention may be practiced with multiple magnetocaloric stages to attain large differences in temperature. Key applications include thermal management of electronics, as well as industrial and home refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning. The invention offers a simpler, lighter, compact, and robust apparatus compared to magnetocaloric devices of prior art. Furthermore, the invention may be run in reverse as a thermodynamic engine, receiving low-level heat and producing mechanical energy.

Vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) windows (10) that employ glass-bump spacers (50) and two or more glass panes (20) are disclosed. The glass-bump spacers are formed in the surface (24) of one of the glass panes (20) and consist of the glass material from the body portion (23) of the glass pane. Thus, the glass-bump spacers are integrally formed in the glass pane, as opposed to being discrete spacer elements that need to be added and fixed to the glass pane. Methods of forming VIG windows are also disclosed. The methods include forming the glass-bump spacers by irradiating a glass pane with a focused beam (112F) from a laser (110). Heating effects in the glass cause the glass to locally expand, thereby forming a glass-bump spacer. The process is repeated at different locations in the glass pane to form an array of glass-bump spacers. A second glass pane is brought into contact with the glass-bump spacers, and the edges (28F, 28B) sealed. The resulting sealed interior region (40) is then evacuated to a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere.

The invention discloses a method for additive manufacturing through depositing, forming, impacting, forging and compositing through double laser beams. The method comprises the following technical characteristics that (1) the two laser beams with different functions simultaneously and mutually cooperate to stack materials in a depositing area layer by layer to form workpieces; and (2) a first continuous laser deposits metal powder through the heat effect, at the same time, a second short pulse laser directly acts on the deposited metal surface within the forging temperature range, and the second short pulse laser impacts and forges deposited layers within the forging temperature range through the impact wave mechanical effect. The method is characterized in that the double laser beams fully utilize the heat effect and the impact wave mechanical effect and simultaneously conduct coupling work at the same time, so that crystal particles of each deposited layer are refined, the strength and plasticity of the whole block body materials and the uniformity of the crystal particle size are improved, internal defects such as air holes and heat stress of the deposited layers are eliminated, the internal quality and machinery mechanical comprehensive performance of metal parts are improved remarkably, and macroscopic deformation and cracking problems are effectively controlled.