Heat transport medium

Abstract

A heat transport medium transports heat transferred from a heat transfer surface 5, the medium comprising a single solvent and containing microparticles 1 of a predetermined substance, wherein the microparticle 1 comprises one or more atoms, structures 3 for protecting the microparticle 1 are arranged on the microparticle surface and, if the diameter of a solvent molecule 2 constituting the medium is a and the length from a functional group 3a of the structure 3, which adsorbs to the microparticle 1, is b, the diameter a and the length b are set to satisfy the relationship a≦b.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the volume content of microparticle and the thermal conductivity of medium according to one conventional example of the heat transport medium;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a view schematically showing the structured state and a view schematically showing the dissolved state, according to the first embodiment of the heat transport medium of the present invention, respectively;

FIG. 3 is a graph plotting a simplified and enlarged view of FIG. 2A;

FIGS. 4A to 4D are views schematically showing other construction examples of the structure according to modification examples of the heat transport medium of the first embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a perspective construction of the microparticle according to a modification example of the heat transport medium of the first embodiment.

Claims

1. A heat transport medium for transporting heat transferred from a heat transfer surface, the medium comprising a single solvent and containing microparticles of a predetermined substance, wherein said microparticle comprises one or more atoms, structures for protecting said microparticle are arranged on the microparticle surface and, if the diameter of a solvent molecule constituting said medium is a and the length from the base at which said structure is adsorbed to said microparticle is b, the diameter and the length are set to satisfy the relationship a≦b.

2. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the thermal conductivity of said microparticle is larger than the thermal conductivity of said solvent.

3. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein said structure comprises a linear organic material regularly arranged on the surface of said microparticle.

4. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein said structure comprises a cyclic organic material regularly arranged on the surface of said microparticle.

5. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the average diameter of said microparticles is 5 nm (nanometer) or less.

6. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein said microparticle comprises a metal.

7. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein said microparticle comprises an inorganic material.

8. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein said microparticle comprises an oxide.

9. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein said microparticle comprises an organic material.

10. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein said microparticle comprises two or more kinds of substances.

11. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 10, wherein said microparticle comprising two or more kinds of substances has a layered construction and the substance present in the more inner layer has a higher thermal conductivity than that of the substance present in the more outer layer.

12. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 6, wherein said microparticle comprising a metal comprises gold, said solvent comprises water and said structure has a hydrophilic group.

13. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 6, wherein said microparticle comprising a metal comprises gold, said solvent comprises toluene and said structure has a hydrophobic group.

14. A heat transport medium for transporting heat transferred from a heat transfer surface, the medium comprising two or more kinds of solvents and containing microparticles of a predetermined substance, wherein said microparticle comprises one or more atoms, structures for protecting said microparticle are arranged on the microparticle surface and, if the diameter of a solvent molecule having a maximum diameter out of the solvent molecules constituting said medium is a and the length from the base at which said structure is adsorbed to said microparticle is b, the diameter and the length are set to satisfy the relationship a≦b.

15. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the thermal conductivity of said microparticle is larger than the thermal conductivity of said solvent.

16. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein said structure comprises a linear organic material regularly arranged on the surface of said microparticle.

17. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein said structure comprises a cyclic organic material regularly arranged on the surface of said microparticle.

18. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the average diameter of said microparticles is 5 nm (nanometer) or less.

19. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein said microparticle comprises a metal.

20. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein said microparticle comprises an inorganic material.

21. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein said microparticle comprises an oxide.

22. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein said microparticle comprises an organic material.

23. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein said microparticle comprises two or more kinds of substances.

24. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 23, wherein said microparticle comprising two or more kinds of substances has a layered construction and the substance present in the more inner layer has a higher thermal conductivity than that of the substance present in the more outer layer.

25. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 1, wherein said medium contains one or more kinds of freezing-point depressants.

26. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 25, wherein said freezing-point depressant is a solid freezing-point depressant.

27. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 25, wherein said freezing-point depressant is a liquid freezing-point depressant.

28. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 25, wherein said medium contains at least either one of a rust inhibitor and an antioxidant as an additive.

29. The heat transport medium as defined in claim 14, wherein said medium contains one or more kinds of freezing-point depressants.