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Title: Conductance valve and pressure-to-conductance transducer method and apparatus

Abstract

A device for interrupting or throttling undesired ionic transport through a fluid network is disclosed. The device acts as a fluid valve by reversibly generating a fixed "bubble" in the conducting solvent solution carried by the network. The device comprises a porous hydrophobic structure filling a portion of a connecting channel within the network and optionally incorporates flow restrictor elements at either end of the porous structure that function as pressure isolation barriers, and a fluid reservoir connected to the region of the channel containing the porous structure. Also included is a pressure pump connected to the fluid reservoir. The device operates by causing the pump to vary the hydraulic pressure to a quantity of solvent solution held within the reservoir and porous structure. At high pressures, most or all of the pores of the structure are filled with conducting liquid so the ionic conductance is high. At lower pressures, only a fraction of the pores are filled with liquid, so ionic conductivity is lower. Below a threshold pressure, the porous structure contains only vapor, so there is no liquid conduction path. The device therefore effectively throttles ionic transport through the porous structure and acts as a "conductance valve" ormore » "pressure-to-conductance" transducer within the network.

Inventors:
; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1175202
Patent Number(s):
6843272
Application Number:
10/304,346
Assignee:
Sandia National Laboratories
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F15 - FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS F15C - FLUID-CIRCUIT ELEMENTS PREDOMINANTLY USED FOR COMPUTING OR CONTROL PURPOSES
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F16 - ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS F16K - VALVES
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING

Citation Formats

Schoeniger, Joseph S., Cummings, Eric B., and Brennan, James S. Conductance valve and pressure-to-conductance transducer method and apparatus. United States: N. p., 2005. Web.
Schoeniger, Joseph S., Cummings, Eric B., & Brennan, James S. Conductance valve and pressure-to-conductance transducer method and apparatus. United States.
Schoeniger, Joseph S., Cummings, Eric B., and Brennan, James S. Tue . "Conductance valve and pressure-to-conductance transducer method and apparatus". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1175202.
@article{osti_1175202,
title = {Conductance valve and pressure-to-conductance transducer method and apparatus},
author = {Schoeniger, Joseph S. and Cummings, Eric B. and Brennan, James S.},
abstractNote = {A device for interrupting or throttling undesired ionic transport through a fluid network is disclosed. The device acts as a fluid valve by reversibly generating a fixed "bubble" in the conducting solvent solution carried by the network. The device comprises a porous hydrophobic structure filling a portion of a connecting channel within the network and optionally incorporates flow restrictor elements at either end of the porous structure that function as pressure isolation barriers, and a fluid reservoir connected to the region of the channel containing the porous structure. Also included is a pressure pump connected to the fluid reservoir. The device operates by causing the pump to vary the hydraulic pressure to a quantity of solvent solution held within the reservoir and porous structure. At high pressures, most or all of the pores of the structure are filled with conducting liquid so the ionic conductance is high. At lower pressures, only a fraction of the pores are filled with liquid, so ionic conductivity is lower. Below a threshold pressure, the porous structure contains only vapor, so there is no liquid conduction path. The device therefore effectively throttles ionic transport through the porous structure and acts as a "conductance valve" or "pressure-to-conductance" transducer within the network.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 18 00:00:00 EST 2005},
month = {Tue Jan 18 00:00:00 EST 2005}
}