Micro-cycle energy transfer systems and methods

Abstract

A carrier supports property-transferring material and includes a first portion exposed to a first property and a second portion exposed to a second property. The first property is different from the second property causing the property-transferring material to develop micro-cyclic property transfer between the first and second properties. The first and second properties each include at least one of heat and mass.

1 . Apparatus comprising: 
 a carrier supporting property-transferring material and including a first portion exposed to a first property and a second portion exposed to a second property;    the first property being different from the second property causing the property-transferring material to develop micro-cyclic property transfer between the first and second properties;    wherein the first and second properties each comprise at least one of heat and mass.    
   
   
       2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises hydrophilic material.  
   
   
       3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises hydrophobic material.  
   
   
       4 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a property-changing device associated with at least one of the carrier and the property-transferring material.  
   
   
       5 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a property-changing device associated with at least one of the first property and the second property.  
   
   
       6 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions of the carrier comprises first and second surfaces of the carrier.  
   
   
       7 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions of the carrier comprises first and second extremities of the carrier.  
   
   
       8 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first property is carried by at least one fluid.  
   
   
       9 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first property is carried by at least one solid.  
   
   
       10 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second property is carried by at least one fluid.  
   
   
       11 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second property is carried by at least one solid.  
   
   
       12 . A method comprising steps of: 
 providing a carrier supporting property-transferring material;    exposing the property-transferring material to a first property at a first portion of the carrier;    exposing the property-transferring material to a second property at a second portion of the carrier;    the first property being different from the second property; and    the property-transferring material developing micro-cyclic property transfer between the first and second properties in response to exposing the property-transferring material to the first property at the first portion of the carrier and to the second property at the second portion of the carrier.    
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the material comprises hydrophilic material.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the material comprises hydrophobic material.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising associating a property-changing device with at least one of the carrier and the property-transferring material.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising associating a property-changing device with at least one of the first property and the second property.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the first property is carried by at least one fluid.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the first property is carried by at least one solid.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the second property is carried by at least one fluid.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the second property is carried by at least one solid.