Method of using electro-sensitive movable fluids

Details Method of using electro-sensitive movable fluids Method of using electro-sensitive movable fluids

1999-07-21

2002-12-17

Gupta, Yogendra N. (Department: 1751)

Compositions

Fluent dielectric

O-containing

C252S579000, C252S073000, C252S079000, C415S090000, C415S206000, C417S048000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06495071

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electro-sensitive movable fluids which flow by application of a direct-current-voltage, methods of using the movable fluids and motors using the movable fluids.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known that the characteristics of certain kinds of dielectric fluids vary when the dielectric fluids are subjected to electric fields. In case of liquid crystals, for example, when a voltage is applied to liquid crystal compounds in a liquid crystal phase (i.e., intermediate phase between a solid phase and a liquid phase), orientation properties of the compounds are controlled to thereby adjust light transmittance of the compounds, whereby visible images are formed. However, even if the liquid crystal compounds regulated by the orientation plates are placed in electric fields, they cannot flow freely because they are not liberated from the regulation.
Also, some fluids are known to exert an effect of variation of properties such as viscosity (electrical rheology effect or Winslow Effect).
The fluids exerting electrical rheology effect or Wien effect are generally colloidal dispersions wherein solid components, such as silica gel, cellulose, casein and polystyrene ion exchange resins, are mixed with insulating oils and dispersed in the oils, so that the storage stability of such fluids is low.
As lubricating oils for automobiles, those exhibiting electrical rheology effect have been proposed, but such lubricating oils are also heterogeneous and have a problem of low storage stability.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications No. 57274/1994 and No. 73390/1994, inventions of electrosensitive compositions wherein insulating oils are blended with specific fluorine compounds are disclosed.
The compositions disclosed in those publications are mixtures of insulating oils and fluorine compounds, and therefore they have a problem in the storage stability. Additionally, there is a worldwide tendency to avoid the use of fluorine compounds in recent years.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electro-sensitive movable fluid which flows upon application of a direct-current-voltage, a method of using the movable fluid and a motor using the movable fluid.
More particularly, the object of the invention is to provide an electro-sensitive movable fluid, wherein jet flow is induced by the electric energy of a direct-current-voltage applied to the movable fluid, said jet flow of the movable fluid being able to be taken out as mechanical energy such as rotational energy.
It is another object of the invention to provide an energy conversion method using the electro-sensitive movable fluid wherein the electric energy of a direct-current-voltage applied to the movable fluid is converted to energy in the other form.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel motor using the electro-sensitive movable fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The electro-sensitive movable fluid of the invention comprises a compound having a conductivity &sgr; and a viscosity &eegr; located inside a triangle in a graph showing a relation between a conductivity &sgr;, plotted as abscissa, and a viscosity &eegr;, plotted as ordinate, of a fluid at the working temperature, said triangle having, as vertexes, a point P indicated by the conductivity &sgr;=4×10
−10
S/m and the viscosity &eegr;=1×10
0
Pa·s, a point Q indicated by the conductivity &sgr;=4×10
−10
S/m and the viscosity &eegr;=1×10
−4
Pa·s, and a point R indicated by the conductivity &sgr;=5×10
−6
S/m and the viscosity &eegr;=1×10
−4
Pa·s, or comprises a mixture of two or more kinds of compounds, said mixture being adjusted to have a conductivity &sgr; and a viscosity &eegr; located inside said triangle.
The electro-sensitive movable fluid may be an inorganic compound or an organic compound. When the electro-sensitive movable fluid is an organic compound, this organic compound preferably 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.
When a voltage is applied between at least two electrodes arranged in the electro-sensitive movable fluid of the invention, the electro-sensitive movable fluid can be moved in the direction of one electrode to the other electrode.
Further, using the electro-sensitive movable fluid, the electric energy can be converted to energy of other form by a method comprising the steps of arranging at least one pair of electrodes in the 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. In this case, the energy conversion using the electro-sensitive movable fluid can be controlled by a method comprising the steps of arranging at least one pair of electrodes in a container filled with the 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.
The first motor for electro-sensitive movable fluid (referred to as “RE type ECF motor” hereinafter, ECF: electro-conjugated fluid), which is preferably employed for the energy conversion, includes 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 fluid 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. The electro-sensitive movable fluid of the invention can drive the second motor for electro-sensitive movable fluid (referred to as “SE type ECF motor” hereinafter) other than the RE type ECF motor. The SE type ECF motor includes a cylindrical container to be filled with the electro-sensitive movable fluid, a lid of the container and a vane rotor, vanes of which detect motion of the movable fluid induced by application of a voltage to thereby rotate the rotor. The cylindrical container is provided with slits where the electrodes are arranged, and from the slits at least one pair of electrodes extend along the inner wall surface of the container.
As described above, the RE type ECF motor includes 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,

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