The process of heating a fluid involves applying energy (e.g., heat) to the fluid. To maintain fluid, however, the temperature at which the fluid is heated must be below the boiling point for such fluid. Otherwise, the fluid will transform into a vapor. Applying energy to fluid may occur in a number of ways. For example, a fluid may be placed in a container that sits over a fire or other source of heat. As another example, a fluid may be placed in a black-colored container, which is placed in the sun on a hot day. As a further example, one or more mirrors may be positioned in such a way as to direct sunlight to a container holding a fluid.
In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a vessel, comprising a concentrator configured to concentrate electromagnetic (EM) radiation received from an EM radiation source, and a complex configured to absorb EM radiation to generate heat, wherein the vessel is configured to receive a cool fluid from the cool fluid source, concentrate the EM radiation using the concentrator, apply the EM radiation to the complex, and transform, using the heat generated by the complex, the cool fluid to the heated fluid, wherein the complex is at least one selected from a group consisting of copper nanoparticles, copper oxide nanoparticles, nanoshells, nanorods, carbon moieties, encapsulated nanoshells, encapsulated nanoparticles, and branched nanostructures, wherein the EM radiation comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of EM radiation in an ultraviolet region of an electromagnetic spectrum, in a visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and in an infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system for supplying heated water to a water appliance, the system comprising a vessel comprising a complex, wherein the complex is at least one selected from a group consisting of copper nanoparticles, copper oxide nanoparticles, nanoshells, nanorods, carbon moieties, encapsulated nanoshells, encapsulated nanoparticles, and branched nanostructures, and wherein the vessel is configured to receive source water from a water source, concentrate electromagnetic (EM) radiation received from an EM radiation source, apply the EM radiation to the complex, wherein the complex absorbs the EM radiation to generate heat, and heat, using the heat generated by the complex, the source water in the vessel to obtain the heated water, and a tankless water heater configured to receive a signal to provide hot water to the water appliance retrieve, in response the signal, the heated water from vessel, and send the heated water to the water appliance.
In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system to generate a heated fluid, the system comprising a heating vessel abutting the holding tank, wherein the heating vessel comprises a complex wherein the complex is at least one selected from a group consisting of copper nanoparticles, copper oxide nanoparticles, nanoshells, nanorods, carbon moieties, encapsulated nanoshells, encapsulated nanoparticles, and branched nanostructures, and wherein the heating vessel is configured to concentrate electromagnetic (EM) radiation received from an EM radiation source, apply the EM radiation to the complex, wherein the complex absorbs the EM radiation to generate heat, provide the heat generated by the complex to a holding tank, the holding tank adapted to receive the target fluid from a fluid source and to receive the heat generated by the complex from the heating fluid vessel, wherein heat from the heating vessel heats the target fluid, a hot water storage container configured to receive the heated fluid from the holding tank and store the heated fluid.
Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Like elements in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for consistency.
In the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.
In general, embodiments of the invention provide for generating a heated fluid using an electromagnetic (EM) radiation-absorbing complex. More specifically, one or more embodiments of the invention provide for adding energy (e.g., heat) to a cool fluid (i.e., a fluid that has a lower temperature than a desired temperature of the fluid) in order to create a heated fluid (i.e., a fluid that has a temperature substantially similar to a desired temperature of the fluid). Embodiments of the invention use complexes (e.g., nanoshells) that have absorbed EM radiation to produce the energy used to generate the heated fluid. The invention may provide for a complex mixed in a liquid solution, used to coat a wall of a vessel, integrated with a material of which a vessel is made, and/or otherwise suitably integrated with a vessel used to apply EM radiation to the complex. All the piping and associated fittings, pumps, valves, gauges, and other equipment described, used, or contemplated herein, either actually or as one of ordinary skill in the art would conceive, are made of materials resistant to the heat and/or fluid and/or vapor transported, transformed, pressurized, created, or otherwise handled within those materials.
A source of EM radiation may be any source capable of emitting energy at one or more wavelengths. For example, EM radiation may be any source that emits radiation in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. A source of EM radiation may be manmade or occur naturally. Examples of a source of EM radiation may include, but are not limited to, the sun, waste heat from an industrial process, and a light bulb. One or more concentrators may be used to intensify and/or concentrate the energy emitted by a source of EM radiation. Examples of a concentrator include, but are not limited to, lens(es), a parabolic trough(s), mirror(s), black paint, or any combination thereof.
Embodiments of this invention may be used in any residential, commercial, and/or industrial application where heating of a fluid may be needed. Examples of such applications include, but are not limited to, dishwashing, cooking, municipal services, chemical treatment, processing and manufacturing for a number of market sectors (e.g., food processing and packaging, pulp and paper, printing, chemicals and allied products, rubber, plastics, cosmetics, textile production, electronics), hospitals, universities, laboratories, drug manufacturing, wastewater and sewage treatment, and beverages. While one application for embodiments of this invention may involve heating water, other fluids aside from water may also be heated using embodiments of this invention.
In one or more embodiments, the complex may include one or more nanoparticle structures including, but not limited to, nanoshells, coated nanoshells, metal colloids, nanorods, branched or coral structures, and/or carbon moieties. In one or more embodiments, the complex may include a mixture of nanoparticle structures to absorb EM radiation. Specifically, the complex may be designed to maximize the absorption of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the sun. Further, each complex may absorb EM radiation over a specific range of wavelengths.
In one or more embodiments, the complex may include metal nanoshells. A nanoshell is a substantially spherical dielectric core surrounded by a thin metallic shell. The plasmon resonance of a nanoshell may be determined by the size of the core relative to the thickness of the metallic shell. Nanoshells may be fabricated according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,986, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The relative size of the dielectric core and metallic shell, as well as the optical properties of the core, shell, and medium, determines the plasmon resonance of a nanoshell. Accordingly, the overall size of the nanoshell is dependent on the absorption wavelength desired. Metal nanoshells may be designed to absorb or scatter light throughout the visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. For example, a plasmon resonance in the near infrared region of the spectrum (700 nm-900 nm) may have a substantially spherical silica core having a diameter between 90 nm-175 nm and a gold metallic layer between 4 nm-35 nm.
A complex may also include other core-shell structures, for example, a metallic core with one or more dielectric and/or metallic layers using the same or different metals. For example, a complex may include a gold or silver nanoparticle, spherical or rod-like, coated with a dielectric layer and further coated with another gold or silver layer. A complex may also include other core-shell structures, for example hollow metallic shell nanoparticles and/or multi-layer shells.
In one or more embodiments, a complex may include a nanoshell encapsulated with a dielectric or rare earth element oxide. For example, gold nanoshells may be coated with an additional shell layer made from silica, titanium or europium oxide.
In one embodiment of the invention, the complexes may be aggregated or otherwise combined to create aggregates. In such cases, the resulting aggregates may include complexes of the same type or complexes of different types.
In one embodiment of the invention, complexes of different types may be combined as aggregates, in solution, or embedded on substrate. By combining various types of complexes, a broad range of the EM spectrum may be absorbed.
In addition to europium, other examples of element oxides that may be used in the above recipe include, but are not limited to, erbium, samarium, praseodymium, and dysprosium. The additional layer is not limited to rare earth oxides. Any coating of the particle that may result in a higher melting point, better solubility in a particular solvent, better deposition onto a particular substrate, and/or control over the number of aggregates or plasmon resonance of the particle may be used. Examples of the other coatings that may be used, but are not limited to silica, titanium dioxide, polymer-based coatings, additional layers formed by metals or metal alloys, and/or combinations of materials.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and/or energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) measurements may be used to investigate the chemical composition and purity of the nanoparticle structures in the complex. For example,
In one or more embodiments of the invention, the complex may include solid metallic nanoparticles encapsulated with an additional layer as described above. For example, using the methods described above, solid metallic nanoparticles may be encapsulated using silica, titanium, europium, erbium, samarium, praseodymium, and dysprosium. Examples of solid metallic nanoparticles include, but are not limited to, spherical gold, silver, copper, or nickel nanoparticles or solid metallic nanorods. The specific metal may be chosen based on the plasmon resonance, or absorption, of the nanoparticle when encapsulated. The encapsulating elements may be chosen based on chemical compatibility, the encapsulating elements ability to increase the melting point of the encapsulated nanoparticle structure, and the collective plasmon resonance, or absorption, of a solution of the encapsulated nanostructure, or the plasmon resonance of the collection of encapsulated nanostructures when deposited on a substrate.
In one or more embodiments, the complex may also include copper colloids. Copper colloids may be synthesized using a solution-phase chemical reduction method. For example, 50 mL of 0.4 M aqueous solution of L-ascorbic acid, 0.8M of Polyvinyl pyridine (PVP), and 0.01M of copper (II) nitride may be mixed and heated to 70 degree Celsius until the solution color changes from a blue-green color to a red color. The color change indicates the formation of copper nanoparticles.
Referring to
In one or more embodiments, the complex may include copper oxide nanoparticles. Copper oxide nanostructures may be synthesized by 20 mL aqueous solution of 62.5 mM Cu(NO3)2 being directly mixed with 12 mL NH4OH under stirring. The mixture may be stirred vigorously at approximately 80° C. for 3 hours, then the temperature is reduced to 40° C. and the solution is stirred overnight. The solution color turns from blue to black color indicating the formation of the copper oxide nanostructure. The copper oxide nanostructures may then be washed and resuspended in water via centrifugation.
In one or more embodiments of the invention, the complex may include branched nanostructures. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the invention are not limited to strict gold branched structures. For example, silver, nickel, copper, or platinum branched structures may also be used.
In one or more embodiments of the invention, the gold branched nanostructures dispersed in water may increase the nucleation sites for boiling, absorb electromagnetic energy, decrease the bubble lifetime due to high surface temperature and high porosity, and increase the interfacial turbulence by the water gradient temperature and the Brownian motion of the particles. The efficiency of a gold branched complex solution may be high because it may allow the entire fluid to be involved in the boiling process.
As demonstrated in the above figures and text, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention, the complex may include a number of different specific nanostructures chosen to maximize the absorption of the complex in a desired region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In addition, the complex may be suspended in different solvents, for example water or ethylene glycol. Also, the complex may be deposited onto a surface according to known techniques. For example, a molecular or polymer linker may be used to fix the complex to a surface, while allowing a solvent to be heated when exposed to the complex. The complex may also be embedded in a matrix or porous material. For example, the complex may be embedded in a polymer or porous matrix material formed to be inserted into a particular embodiment as described below. For example, the complex could be formed into a removable cartridge. As another example, a porous medium (e.g., fiberglass) may be embedded with the complex and placed in the interior of a vessel containing a fluid to be heated. The complex may also be formed into shapes in one or more embodiments described below in order to maximize the surface of the complex and, thus, maximize the absorption of EM radiation. In addition, the complex may be embedded in a packed column or coated onto rods inserted into one or more embodiments described below.
In
The resulting mass loss curves in
In one or more embodiments of the invention, the concentration of the complex may be modified to maximize the efficiency of the system. For example, in the case where the complex is in solution, the concentration of the different nanostructures that make up the complex for absorbing EM radiation may be modified to optimize the absorption and, thus, optimize the overall efficiency of the system. In the case where the complex is deposited on a surface, the surface coverage may be modified accordingly.
In
Each component shown in
In one or more embodiments of the invention, the heat generation system 1410 of the system 1400 is configured to provide EM radiation. The heat generation system 1410 may be ambient light, as produced by the sun or one or more light bulbs in a room. Optionally, in one or more embodiments of the invention, the EM radiation source 1414 is any other source capable of emitting EM radiation having one or a range of wavelengths. The EM radiation source 1414 may be a stream of flue gas derived from a combustion process using a fossil fuel, including but not limited to coal, fuel oil, natural gas, gasoline, and propane. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the stream of flue gas is created during the production of heat and/or electric power using a boiler to heat water using one or more fossil fuels. The stream of flue gas may also be created during some other industrial process, including but not limited to chemical production, petroleum refining, and steel manufacturing. The stream of flue gas may be conditioned before being received by the heat generation system 1410. For example, a chemical may be added to the stream of flue gas, or the temperature of the stream of flue gas may be regulated in some way. Conditioning the stream of flue gas may be performed using a separate system designed for such a purpose.
In one or more embodiments of the invention, the EM radiation source 1414 is any other natural and/or manmade source capable of emitting one or more wavelengths of energy. The EM radiation source 1414 may also be a suitable combination of sources of EM radiation, whether emitting energy using the same wavelengths or different wavelengths.
Optionally, in one or more embodiments of the invention, the EM radiation concentrator 1412 is a device used to intensify the energy emitted by the EM radiation source 1414. Examples of an EM radiation concentrator 1412 include, but are not limited to, one or more lenses (e.g., Fresnel lens, biconvex, negative meniscus, simple lenses, complex lenses), a parabolic trough, black paint, one or more disks, an array of multiple elements (e.g., lenses, disks), or any suitable combination thereof. The EM radiation concentrator 1412 may be used to increase the rate at which the EM radiation is absorbed by the complex.
In one or more embodiments of the invention, the fluid heating system 1420 of the system 1400 is configured to receive a cool fluid from a cool fluid source 1422 in a vessel 1424 to generate a heated fluid. The cool fluid source 1422 is where the cool fluid originates. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the cool fluid source 1422 includes a mixture of the cool fluid and other elements (e.g., impurities). The cool fluid source 1422 may be any type of source, including but not limited to a pond, a stream, a storage tank, and an output of a chemical process. The cool fluid may be any type of fluid. Examples of a cool fluid include, but are not limited to, water (salt, brackish, well, distilled, drinking, etc.), oil, and acid.
In one or more embodiments of the invention, the vessel 1424 holds the cool fluid and facilitates the transfer of energy (e.g., heat) to the cool fluid to generate heated fluid. The vessel 1424, or a portion thereof, may include the complex. For example, the vessel 1424 may include a liquid solution (or some other material, liquid or otherwise, such as ethylene glycol or glycine) that includes the complex, be coated on one or more inside surfaces with a coating of the complex, be coated on one or more outside surfaces with a coating of the complex, include a porous matrix into which the complex is embedded, include a packed column that includes packed, therein, a substrate on which the complex is attached, include rods or similar objects coated with the complex and submerged in the fluid and/or liquid solution, be constructed of a material that includes the complex, or any combination thereof. The vessel 1424 may also be adapted to facilitate one or more EM radiation concentrators (not shown), as described above.
The vessel 1424 may be of any size, material, shape, color, degree of translucence/transparency, or any other characteristic suitable for the operating temperatures and pressures to produce the amount and type of heated fluid designed for the application. For example, the vessel 1424 may be a large, stainless steel cylindrical tank holding a quantity of solution that includes the complex and with a number of lenses (acting as EM radiation concentrators) along the lid and upper walls. In such a case, the solution may include the cool fluid to be heated into the heated fluid. Further, in such a case, the cool fluid includes properties such that the complex remains in the solution when a filtering system (described below) is used. Alternatively, the vessel 1424 may be a translucent pipe with the interior surfaces coated (either evenly or unevenly) with a substrate of the complex, where the pipe is positioned at the focal point of a parabolic trough (acting as an EM radiation concentrator) made of reflective metal.
Optionally, in one or more embodiments of the invention, the vessel 1424 includes one or more temperature gauges 1428 to measure a temperature at different points inside the vessel 1424. For example, a temperature gauge 1428 may be placed at the point in the vessel 1424 where the heated fluid exits the vessel 1424. Such temperature gauge 1428 may be operatively connected to a control system (not shown) used to control the amount and/or quality of heated fluid produced in heating the cool fluid. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the vessel 1424 may be pressurized where the pressure is read and/or controlled using a pressure gauge (not shown). Those skilled in the art will appreciate one or more control systems used to create heated fluid in heating the cool fluid may involve a number of devices, including but not limited to the temperature gauge(s) 1428, pressure gauges, pumps (e.g., pump 1426), fans, and valves, controlled (manually and/or automatically) according to a number of protocols and operating procedures. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the control system may be configured to maintain a maximum temperature (or range of temperatures) of the vessel 1424 so that the heated fluid maintains (or does not exceed) a predetermined temperature. For example, a control system may be used when the heated fluid is water to ensure that the temperature of the heated water, to be used for a shower/bathtub, does not exceed 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Optionally, in one or more embodiments of the invention, one or more of the components of the fluid heating system 1420 may also include a filtering system (not shown). For example, a filtering system may be located inside the vessel 1424 and/or at some point before the cool fluid enters the vessel 1424. The filtering system may capture impurities (e.g., dirt, large bacteria, corrosive material) in the cool fluid that are not useful or wanted in the heated fluid. The filtering system may vary, depending on a number of factors, including but not limited to the configuration of the vessel 1424, the configuration of the cool fluid source 1422, and the purity requirements of the heated fluid. The filtering system may be integrated with a control system. For example, the filtering system may operate within a temperature range measured by one or more temperature gauges 1428.
Optionally, in one or more embodiments of the invention, one or more pumps 1426 may be used in the fluid heating system 1420. A pump 1426 may be used to regulate the flow of the cool fluid into the vessel 1424 and/or the flow of the heated fluid from the vessel 1424. A pump 1426 may operate manually or automatically (as with a control system, described above). Each pump 1426 may operate using a variable speed motor or a fixed speed motor. The flow of cool fluid and/or heated fluid may also be controlled by gravity, pressure differential, some other suitable mechanism, or any combination thereof.
Optionally, in one or more embodiments of the invention, the storage tank 1438 of the fluid heating system 1430 is configured to store the heated fluid after the heated fluid has been extracted from the vessel 1424. In some embodiments of the invention, the storage tank may be the vessel 1424, as shown below in
Referring to
Optionally, in Step 1504, EM radiation sent by an EM radiation source (described above with respect to
In Step 1506, the EM radiation is applied to the complex. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the complex absorbs the EM radiation to generate heat. The EM radiation may be applied to all or a portion of the complex contained in the vessel. The EM radiation may also be applied to an intermediary, which in turn applies the EM radiation (either directly or indirectly, as through convection) to the complex. A control system using, for example, one or more temperature gauges, may regulate the amount of EM radiation applied to the complex, thus controlling the amount of heat generated by the complex at a given point in time. Power required for any component in the control system may be supplied by any of a number of external sources (e.g., a battery, a photovoltaic solar array, alternating current power, direct current power).
In Step 1508, the cool fluid is heated to generate heated fluid. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the cool fluid is heated using the heat generated by the complex. A control system may be used to monitor and/or regulate the temperature of the heated fluid.
In Step 1510, the heated fluid is extracted from the vessel. In one or more embodiments of the invention, a pump is used to extract the fluid from the vessel. The pump may be controlled by a control system. For example, the pump may operate when the heated fluid reaches a threshold temperature inside the vessel, as read by a temperature gauge. After completing Step 1510, the process ends. Optionally, the process may proceed to Step 1512, where the heated fluid is stored in a storage tank.
Consider the following example, shown in
The water may be extracted from the water source 1602 through piping 1604 before reaching a vessel 1608 with complex. The complex may be incorporated into the vessel 1608 in one of a number of ways. For example, the complex may be applied to the inside surface of the pipe. In this case, the complex may not be applied unevenly (i.e., non-uniformly), so that a greater amount of surface area of the complex may come in direct contact with the fluid as the fluid flows through the pipe. The greater amount of surface area may allow for a greater transfer of heat from the pipe to the heating fluid. The complex may also be applied evenly (i.e., uniformly) to the inside surface of the pipe. Alternatively, the complex may be applied to the outer surface of the pipe as an even coating. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that integrating the complex with the pipe (or any other form of heating fluid vessel) may occur in any of a number of other ways. The complex is configured to absorb EM radiation from an EM radiation source (not shown). Upon absorbing the EM radiation, the complex generates heat. When an EM radiation concentrator is used, as with the parabolic trough 1612 shown in
The water, which flows inside the pipe of the vessel 1608, receives the heat generated by the complex at the inner wall of the pipe. To regulate the temperature of the heated water in the vessel 1608, a control system may be used. The control system may be integrated with the control of the extraction and flow of the water, if any, from the water source 1602, described above. To control the temperature of the heated water, a number of different instruments may be used. For example, temperature gauges, pressure gauges, photocells, pumps, fans, and other devices may be used, either separately or in combination. In this example, a pump 1606, two temperature gauges (i.e., TC11610 and TC21614), and a photocell (i.e, PC 1616) are used. Specifically, TC11610 measures the temperature of the cool water just before the cool water reaches the vessel 1608 with the complex. As the heated water leaves the vessel 1608 with the complex, TC21614 measures the temperature of the heated water. In addition, PC 1616 measures the intensity of the source of the EM radiation, which in this example may be sunlight from the sun. The readings from TC11610, TC21614, and PC 1616, as well as the flow rate of the water through the vessel 1608 derived from the speed of the pump 1606, may allow the control system to adjust one or more operating factors to meet designated parameters. For example, if the temperature of the heated water is too low at TC21614, the control system may reduce the speed of the variable speed motor controlling the pump 1606.
Upon leaving the vessel 1608, the heated water flows through a pipe 1618 to be stored in a storage tank 1622. The storage tank 1622 may be insulated to retain a portion of the heat from the heated water. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the storage tank 1622 may also be controlled by a control system, as described above for the vessel 1608. For example, the control system may use a temperature gauge (i.e., TC31620) to measure the temperature of the heated water in the storage tank 1622 and make appropriate operating changes (e.g., vent some of the excess heat, request more heated water at a higher temperature) as necessary. The storage tank 1622 may be stored in an enclosed location 1628, such as a utility room or closet, an attic, a kitchen pantry, or any other suitable location. The storage tank 1622 may have one or more piping feeds 1624 to devices that use heated water. Examples of such devices may include, but are not limited to, a shower, a faucet, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a swimming pool, a hot tub, a dry cleaner, a chemical process, and a steam sauna. The storage tank 1622 may rest on a platform 1626, such as a floor or the ground.
In embodiments of the invention, a filtering system (not shown) may be integrated with the vessel 1608 to remove certain impurities (e.g., dirt, solids, large bacteria) from the mixture. Similar filtering systems may also be used in other portions of this system.
As discussed above, the process of heating the cool fluid to generate heated fluid may occur in a number of ways other than the way shown in
The water source 1702 and piping 1704 may be the same as the water source and piping described above with respect to
The vessel 1706 may also include a concentrator. In this example, the concentrator may be, for example, black paint on the exterior of the vessel 1706, a reflective mirror at the base of the vessel 1706, some other suitable means of concentrating the EM radiation on the vessel 1706, or any combination thereof. As EM radiation emitted from an EM radiation source (not shown) is concentrated by the concentrator (if any) and contacts the complex, the complex absorbs the EM radiation and generates heat. The heat generated by the complex radiates to the cool water inside the vessel 1706 and heats the cool water to generate heated water. The heated water is then moved from the vessel 1706 to devices using the heated water through piping 1712.
Embodiments of the invention as shown in
In this example, the vessel 1802, as well as the control system, the water source, the piping, and other components of the heated water system (all not shown) would operate in a substantially similar manner as with similar components described above with respect to
The bottom compartment (i.e., water tank 1908) shown in
One or more embodiments of the invention heat a cool fluid extracted from a cool water source. The amount of cool fluid that is heated by embodiments of the invention may range from a few ounces to thousands of gallons (or more) of heated fluid. Embodiments of the invention may be portable, allowing for mobile and temporary applications. For example, in addition to examples previously discussed herein, embodiments of the invention may be used by relief workers to supply heated water to areas struck by a natural disaster, remote locations that have little or no utilities, or some other similar location needing heated water. Embodiments of the invention may also be used in neglected areas of population where adequate and reliable sources of heated water may be problematic. Embodiments of the invention may also be used to heat some other compound or chemical, such as oil, gasoline, an acid, and an alcohol.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/423,278, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The invention made with government support under Grant Number DE-AC52-06NA25396 awarded by the Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.
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2003-284687 | Oct 2003 | JP |
2005-062104 | Mar 2005 | JP |
2006-504140 | Feb 2006 | JP |
2007-199572 | Aug 2007 | JP |
70575 | Jan 2008 | RU |
9300781 | Jan 1993 | WO |
9906322 | Feb 1999 | WO |
WO 9906322 | Feb 1999 | WO |
2004038461 | May 2004 | WO |
2008104900 | Sep 2008 | WO |
2009012397 | Jan 2009 | WO |
2009114567 | Sep 2009 | WO |
2012082364 | Jun 2012 | WO |
2013010271 | Jan 2013 | WO |
Entry |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20120155841 A1 | Jun 2012 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61423278 | Dec 2010 | US |