Methods of using electro-sensitive movable fluids

Abstract

Provided is a method for creating fluid motion of an electro-sensitive movable fluid upon application of direct-current-voltage between two electrodes adjacent the fluid, the fluid having a conductivity σ, and a viscosity η located inside a triangle in a graph showing a relation between a conductivity σ plotted as abscissa, and a viscosity η, plotted as ordinate, of a fluid at the working temperature, said triangle having, as vertices, a point P indicated by the conductivity σ=4×10 −10 S/m and the viscosity η=1×10 0 Pa·s, a point Q indicated by the conductivity σ=4×10 −10 S/m and the viscosity η 1×10 −4 Pa·s, and a point R indicated by the conductivity σ=5×10 −6 S/m and the viscosity η 1×10 −4 Pa·s.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electro-sensitive movable fluid comprising a compound having a conductivity σ and a viscosity η located inside a rectangular triangle in a graph showing a relation between a conductivity σ, plotted as abscissa, and a viscosity η, plotted as ordinate, of a fluid at the working temperature, said rectangular triangle having, as vertexes, a point P indicated by the conductivity σ=4×10 −10  S/m and the viscosity η=1×10 0  Pa·s, a point Q indicated by the conductivity σ=4×10 −10  S/m and the viscosity η=1×10 −4  Pa·s, and a point R indicated by the conductivity σ=5×10 −6  S/m and the viscosity η=1×10 −4  Pa·s, or comprising a mixture of two or more kinds of compounds, said mixture being adjusted to have a conductivity σ and a viscosity η located inside said rectangular triangle.  
     
     
         2 . The electro-sensitive movable fluid as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the point P is indicated by the conductivity σ=5×10 −10  S/m and the viscosity η=8×10 −1  Pa·s, the point Q is indicated by the conductivity σ=5×10 −10  S/m and the viscosity η=2×10 −4  Pa·s, and the point R is indicated by the conductivity σ=2.5×10 −6  S/m and the viscosity η=2×10 −4  Pa·s.  
     
     
         3 . The electro-sensitive movable fluid as claimed in  claim 1  or  claim 2 , wherein the compound is a chain or branched, substantially dielectric fluid compound containing molecular end group composed of alkyl groups, outer ends of said groups inactivated by hydrogen atoms bonding to the carbon atoms, said molecular end groups being united by bonding to each other at the inner ends, 
 in which the bonding hand of each carbon atom for constituting the end groups with the sealed ends is bonded to at least one hetero atom and further linked to a straight-chain divalent hydrocarbon group, which may have a hetero atom and may have a branch, through the hetero atom, or is bonded to a divalent hydrocarbon group which may have a hetero atom or may have a branch.  
 
     
     
         4 . The electro-sensitive movable fluid as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the compound is at least one compound selected from compounds represented by the following formulas [II], [II], [III], [IV] and [V]:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein X 1  is a divalent group of 1 to 14 carbon atoms which may have either a branched chain, an ether linkage or an ester linkage, and Y 1  and Z 1  are each independently an alkyl group or 1 to 5 carbon atoms which may have a branch;  
         
           
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
         
         wherein X 2  is a divalent alkyl group of 2 to 9 carbon atoms which may have a branch, Y 2  is a divalent alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, Z 2  is an alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may have a branch, n is an integer of 1 to 4, m is an integer of 1 or 2, and in case of m=1, A is a hydrogen atom; in case of m=2, said compound of this formula being a symmetric dimer having A as a bonding hand in which groups each represented by (Z 2 —O—(X 2 —O) n —CO—Y 2 )—are directly bonded to each other;  
         
           
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
         
         wherein X 3  is a monovalent group having a carbon atoms, b oxygen atoms and 2a+1-2b hydrogen atoms (a is an integer of 1 to 25, b is 0, 1, 2 or 3, and 2a+1 >2b), and Y 3  is a hydrocarbon group of 1 to 14 carbon atoms which may have a branched chain and/or a carbon-to-carbon double bond;  
         
           
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
         
         wherein R 1  and R 2  are each independently a hydrocarbon group which may contain an atom other than carbon and hydrogen, and may be the same as or different from each other, and X is a divalent group represented by the following formula [VI] or [VII]:  
         
           
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
         
         wherein R 3  and R 4  are each a hydrocarbon group which may have a branch and to which an atom other than carbon and hydrogen may be bonded, R 3  and R 4  may be the same as or different from each other, q and r are each independently 0 or an integer of 1 or more, when q or r is 0, R 3  and R 4  are each independently a single bond, p is 0 or an integer of 1, 2 or 3, a cyclic structure regulated by p may have a substituent, and the cyclic structure may be partly or wholly hydrogenated;  
         —C n H (2n−2m) —  [VII] 
         wherein n is an integer of 2 or more, and m is the number of double bonds contained in this group.  
       
     
     
         5 . A method of driving the electro-sensitive movable fluid as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein said movable fluid contains a small amount of a hydrocarbon compound having 5 to 10 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         6 . A method of moving an electro-sensitive movable fluid, comprising applying a voltage between at least two electrodes arranged in an electro-sensitive movable fluid to move the electro-sensitive movable fluid in the direction of one electrode to the other electrode.  
     
     
         7 . A method of converting electric energy to mechanical energy, comprising the steps of arranging at least one pair of electrodes in an electro-sensitive movable fluid, applying a voltage between the electrodes to form jet flow of the electro-sensitive movable fluid at a velocity corresponding to the applied electric energy, and converting fluid energy of the jet flow of the electro-sensitive movable fluid to mechanical energy capable of being taken out.  
     
     
         8 . A method of controlling energy conversion, comprising the steps of arranging at least one pair of electrodes in a container filled with an electro-sensitive movable fluid, applying a direct-current-voltage between the electrodes to convert electric energy to fluid energy of the electro-sensitive movable fluid by changing the applied direct-current-voltage in a range of 0.1 V to 10 kV to control the flow velocity and the flow direction of the electro-sensitive movable fluid in proportion to the applied direct-current-voltage, and converting the fluid energy of the movable fluid to mechanical energy capable of being taken out.  
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 5  or  6 , wherein at least one pair of electrodes and a rotor are arranged in a container filled with the electro-sensitive movable fluid and a direct-current-voltage applied between the electrodes is changed in a range of 0.1 V to 10 kV to control a rotational speed and a rotational direction of the rotor in proportion to the applied direct-current-voltage.  
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in any one of  claims 6  to  9 , wherein the electro-sensitive movable fluid comprises a compound having a conductivity σ and a viscosity η located inside a rectangular triangle in a graph showing a relation between a conductivity σ plotted as abscissa, and a viscosity η, plotted as ordinate, of a fluid at the working temperature, said rectangular triangle having, as vertexes, a point P indicated by the conductivity σ=4×10 −10  S/m and the viscosity η=1×10 0  Pa·s, a point Q indicated by the conductivity σ=4×10 −10  S/m and the viscosity η=1×10 −4  Pa·s, and a point R indicated by the conductivity σ=5×10 −6  S/m and the viscosity η=1×10 −4  Pa·s, or comprises a mixture of two or more kinds of compounds, said mixture being adjusted to have a conductivity σ and a viscosity η located inside said rectangular triangle.  
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in any one of  claims 7  to  10 , wherein the electro-sensitive movable fluid is dibutyl decanedioate.  
     
     
         12 . A motor for electro-sensitive movable fluid, including a container to be filled with an electro-sensitive movable fluid, a lid to close the container by being engaged with the open top of the container, a cylindrical rotor rotatable inside the container around a rotating shaft borne by a shaft hole provided at the center of the lid and a bearing section provided at the center of the bottom of the container, plural first electrodes which are electrically connected with external electrode terminals through the rotating shaft at the upper part of the cylindrical rotor and arranged in the vertical direction on the surface of the cylindrical rotor, and second electrodes which are electrically connected with external electrode terminals through the rotating shaft at the lower part of the cylindrical rotor and arranged in non-contact with the first electrodes and in the vertical direction on the surface of the cylindrical rotor.  
     
     
         13 . The motor for electro-sensitive movable fluid as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the plural first and second electrodes arranged in the vertical direction on the surface of the cylindrical rotor are each made of a conductive material and the interval angle between the electrodes is in the range of 1° to 180°.  
     
     
         14 . A method of driving a motor for electro-sensitive movable fluid, said motor including a container to be filled with an electro-sensitive movable fluid, a lid to close the container by being engaged with the open top of the container, a cylindrical rotor rotatable inside the container around a rotating shaft borne by a shaft hole provided at the center of the lid and a bearing provided at the center of the bottom of the container, plural first electrodes which are electrically connected with first external electrode terminals through the rotating shaft at the upper part of the cylindrical rotor and arranged in the vertical direction on the surface of the cylindrical rotor, and second electrodes which are electrically connected with second external electrode terminals through the rotating shaft at the lower part of the cylindrical rotor and arranged in non-contact with the first electrodes and in the vertical direction on the surface of the cylindrical rotor; 
 which comprises applying a direct-current-voltage between the first and second electrodes to produce jet flow of the electro-sensitive movable fluid in the fluid container and thereby rotate the cylindrical rotor together with the electrodes.