Reaction Drive Energy Transfer Device

Abstract

A fluid energy transfer device, including a chamber for receiving a fluid, at least a portion of the chamber comprising a movable portion relative to another portion of the chamber, the movable portion being adapted to change the volume of the chamber from a first volume to a second volume by movement of the movable portion. The device further includes a bender actuator attached to the movable portion, wherein the bender actuator is at least one of (i) connected directly to the movable portion and (ii) linked to the movable portion, to form a bender-movable portion assembly, wherein the bender is effectively not connected and effectively not linked to any other component of the device other than the movable portion, and wherein the bender-movable portion assembly is adapted to move substantially only due to oscillation of the bender at a drive frequency.

1 . A fluid energy transfer device, comprising:
 a chamber for receiving a fluid, at least a portion of the chamber comprising a movable portion relative to another portion of the chamber, the movable portion being adapted to change the volume of the chamber from a first volume to a second volume by movement of the movable portion; and   a bender actuator attached to the movable portion;   wherein the bender actuator is at least one of (i) connected directly to the movable portion and (ii) linked to the movable portion, to form a bender-movable portion assembly;   wherein the bender is effectively not connected and effectively not linked to any other component of the device other than the movable portion; and   wherein the bender-movable portion assembly is adapted to move substantially only due to oscillation of the bender at a drive frequency.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the bender is connected to electrical leads adapted to conduct electricity to the bender. 
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the bender is resiliently connected to a component of the device that is separate from the movable portion. 
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the bender is connected, via a non-rigid connection, to a component of the device that is separate from the movable portion. 
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the bender actuator is adapted to bend at a frequency such that the bender and moving portion will move between a first position and a second position substantially only due to the bending of the actuator, and wherein the distance between the first position and the second position is substantially greater than the distance of peak-to-peak bending of the actuator. 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the bender actuator is adapted to oscillate the movable portion at a frequency so as to store energy in a system resonance of the device. 
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an axial stability structure, wherein the axial stability structure is connected to the bender-movable portion assembly and adapted to permit axial movement of the bender-movable portion assembly and impeding transverse movement of the bender-movable portion assembly. 
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller operatively connected to the bender, wherein the controller is adapted to vary the drive frequency in response to changes in a system resonance frequency. 
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller adapted to monitor performance of the device, wherein performance includes at least one of flow rate of fluid exiting the device and fluid pressure of fluid exiting through the device, wherein the controller is also adapted to automatically vary a drive force of the bender in response to the monitored performance of the device. 
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further adapted to automatically change the drive force of the bender actuator to automatically change a stroke distance of the movable portion from a first stroke distance to a second stroke distance different than the first stroke distance. 
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the movable portion is a diaphragm. 
   
   
       12 . A fluid energy transfer device, comprising:
 a chamber for receiving a fluid, at least a portion of the chamber comprising a movable portion relative to another portion of the chamber, the movable portion being adapted to change the volume of the chamber from a first volume to a second volume; and   a bender actuator attached to the movable portion, wherein the bender actuator is at least one of (i) connected directly to the movable portion and (ii) linked to the movable portion, to form a bender-movable portion assembly;   wherein the bender actuator is adapted to bend at a frequency such that the bender-diaphragm assembly will move between the first position and the second position substantially due to bending of the actuator; and   wherein the distance between the first position and the second position is at least one of greater than and less than the distance of peak-to-peak bending of the actuator.   
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the distance between the first position and the second position is at least about an order of magnitude greater than the distance of peak-to-peak bending of the actuator. 
   
   
       14 . A fluidic system, comprising;
 the device according to  claim 12 ; and   a fluid, at least a portion of which is present in the chamber;   wherein the bender actuator is adapted to be operable at a drive frequency so as to store energy in a system resonance.   
   
   
       15 . A fluidic system, comprising;
 the device according to  claim 12 ; and   a fluid, at least a portion of which is present in the chamber;   wherein the device has a system resonance frequency governed by a combined effective moving mass of mechanical components and the fluid and a combined effective spring stiffness of the mechanical components and the fluid;   and wherein the bender actuator is adapted to be operable at a drive frequency at or near the system resonance frequency.   
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 12   wherein the bender is effectively not connected and effectively not linked to any other component of the pump other than the movable portion.   
   
   
       17 . A method of moving a fluid, comprising:
 providing a pump for pumping a fluid, the pump comprising;
 a chamber for receiving a fluid, at least a portion of the chamber comprising a movable portion relative to another portion of the chamber, the movable portion being adapted to change the volume of the chamber from a first volume to a second volume by movement of the movable portion; and 
 a bender actuator attached to the movable portion; 
   oscillating the bender at a drive frequency so that forces are transmitted, in reaction to the oscillations of the bender, to the movable portion, causing the movable portion to be displaced in a manner such that a displacement distance of the movable portion is at least one of greater than or less than a peak-to-peak bending displacement of the bender encountered during oscillation of the bender, and   drawing fluid into the chamber by moving the movable component to increase the volume of the chamber.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising oscillating the bender at a frequency to obtain a displacement distance of the movable portion that exceeds a maximum peak-to-peak bending displacement of the bender encountered during oscillation of the bender by at least about an order of magnitude. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising oscillating the bender at a drive frequency that is at least one of near and equal to a system fundamental resonant frequency of the pump. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising oscillating the bender at a drive frequency so that forces are transmitted in reaction to the oscillations of the bender to the movable portion causing the movable portion to be displaced in a manner to store energy in a system resonance to obtain a displacement distance of the movable component that exceeds a maximum peak-to-peak bending displacement of the bender encountered during oscillation of the bender. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 opening an inlet to the chamber and closing an outlet to the chamber;   closing the inlet to the chamber and opening the outlet to the chamber;   wherein, to draw fluid into the chamber, the action of opening the inlet to the chamber and closing the outlet to the chamber is coordinated temporally with a first movement of the movable portion that increases the volume of the chamber;   wherein, to direct fluid out of the chamber, the action of closing the inlet to the chamber and opening the outlet of the chamber is coordinated temporally with a second movement of the movable portion that decreases the volume of the chamber;   wherein fluid flows into the chamber at least during a portion of the time that the inlet is opened; and   wherein fluid flows out of the chamber at least during a portion of the time that the outlet is opened.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the bender actuator of the pump is at least one of (i) connected directly to the movable portion and (ii) linked to the movable portion,
 wherein the bender is effectively not connected and effectively not linked to any other component of the device other than the movable portion.   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising oscillating the bender actuator to oscillate the movable portion at a frequency so as to store energy in a system resonance of the pump. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the bender is connected to electrical leads adapted to conduct electricity to the bender. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the bender is resiliently connected to a component of the device that is separate from the movable portion. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising operating the bender at a drive frequency so as to store energy in a system resonance of the pump, the system resonance frequency being governed by a combined effective moving mass of mechanical components and the fluid and a combined effective spring stiffness of the mechanical components and the fluid. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising operating the bender at a drive frequency at or near a system resonance frequency of the pump. 
   
   
       28 . A fluid energy transfer device, comprising:
 a chamber for receiving a fluid, at least a portion of the chamber comprising a movable portion relative to another portion of the chamber, the movable portion being adapted to change the volume of the chamber from a first volume to a second volume by movement of the movable portion; and   a bender actuator attached to the movable portion;   wherein the bender actuator is at least one of (i) connected directly to the movable portion and (ii) linked to the movable portion, to form a bender-movable portion assembly;   wherein the bender is at least one of (a) not rigidly connected and (b) not rigidly linked to any other component of the device other than the movable portion; and   wherein the bender-movable portion assembly is adapted to move substantially only due to oscillation of the bender at a drive frequency.   
   
   
       29 . A refrigerant system, comprising:
 a refrigerant compressor including the device of  claim 1 ;   a condenser;   a pressure drop capillary tube; and   an evaporator;   wherein the refrigerant compressor, the condenser, the pressure drop capillary tube, and the evaporator are in a refrigerant loop.   
   
   
       30 . A refrigerant system, comprising:
 a refrigerant compressor including the device of  claim 12 ;   a condenser; and   an evaporator;   wherein the refrigerant compressor, the condenser and the evaporator are in a refrigerant loop.   
   
   
       31 . A method of transferring heat, comprising:
 imparting movement on and providing pressure lift to a refrigerant by executing the method of  claim 17 , wherein the liquid is the refrigerant, to move gaseous refrigerant from an evaporator to a condenser to condense the refrigerant.   
   
   
       32 . A pump, comprising:
 the device of  claim 1 ;   a fluid inlet port in fluid communication with the chamber; and   a fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the chamber;   wherein the device is adapted to draw fluid into the chamber through the inlet port during movement of the movable portion in a manner that increases the volume of the chamber, and   wherein the device is adapted to expel fluid out of the chamber through the outlet port during movement of the movable portion in a manner that decreases the volume of the chamber.   
   
   
       33 . A fluidic device, comprising:
 a synthetic jet, wherein the synthetic jet includes the device of  claim 1 .   
   
   
       34 . A pump, comprising:
 the device of  claim 12 ;   a fluid inlet port in fluid communication with the chamber; and   a fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the chamber;   wherein the device is adapted to draw fluid into the chamber through the inlet port during movement of the movable portion in a manner that increases the volume of the chamber, and   wherein the device is adapted to expel fluid out of the chamber through the outlet port during movement of the movable portion in a manner that decreases the volume of the chamber.   
   
   
       35 . A fluidic device, comprising:
 a synthetic jet, wherein the synthetic jet includes the device of  claim 12 .   
   
   
       36 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein, with the exception of electrical leads, the bender is not connected to a component that is separate from the movable portion.