Tunable capacitors using fluid dielectrics
View Patent ↗Capacitors ( 10,20,40,50,70,80 ) having a fluid dielectric material that is transported or undergoes a phase change are disclosed. The dielectric medium change results in a change in the total dielectric constant of the material between the electrodes ( 12, 14, 72, 74, 81, 82 ), thus changing the capacitance of the capacitors. Transporting or phase changing the dielectric fluids into and out of a the electric field of the capacitor, changes the effective dielectric constant and the capacitance of the capacitor.
1. A capacitor comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode; a dielectric material; and means for changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric material via a phase change of the dielectric material from liquid to solid, liquid to gas, or solid to gas, or vary physical properties of a supercritical fluid.
2. The capacitor of claim 1 , wherein: the means for changing the dielectric constant is a heater proximate to the dielectric material.
3. The capacitor of claim 1 , wherein: the means for changing the dielectric constant is a thermal connection between ambient temperature of a medium, a device or component, and the dielectric material, such that changing temperature changes the dielectric constant.
4. The capacitor of claim 3 , wherein the changing temperature is ambient temperature.
5. The capacitor of claim 1 , wherein: the means for changing the dielectric constant is a pressure connection between pressure of a medium, a device or component, and the dielectric material, such that changing pressure of the medium changes the dielectric constant.
6. The capacitor of claim 5 , wherein the changing pressure is associated with a gas pressure.
7. The capacitor of claim 1 wherein the dielectric material comprises at least two fluid dielectrics.
8. The capacitor of claim 7 wherein said at least two fluid dielectrics are formed of the same material and at least one of said two fluid dielectrics is a gas and at least one of said fluid dielectrics is a liquid for a portion of the operational range of the capacitor.
9. The capacitor of claim 7 wherein said at least two fluid dielectrics are immiscible liquids.
10. The capacitor of claim 7 wherein at least one of said at least two fluid dielectrics is a gel or suspension.
11. The capacitor of claim 7 wherein said at least two fluid dielectrics comprise at least one fluid dielectric having a relatively high dielectric constant and at least one fluid dielectric having a relatively low dielectric constant.
12. The capacitor of claim 11 wherein at least one of said at least two dielectric fluids comprises a supercritical fluid.
13. The capacitor of claim 1 wherein said means for changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric material is via a phase change of the dielectric material from liquid to solid, solid to gas or liquid to gas.
14. The capacitor of claim 1 wherein said means for changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric material is via a phase change of the dielectric material from liquid to solid.
15. The capacitor of claim 1 wherein said means for changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric material is via a phase change of the dielectric material from solid to gas.
16. The capacitor of claim 1 wherein said means for changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric material is via a phase change of the dielectric material from liquid to gas.
17. The capacitor of claim 1 wherein said means for changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric material is via varying the physical properties of a supercritical fluid.