Magnetofluiddynamic pumps for non-conductive fluids
A magnetofluiddynamic (MFD) pump including a liquid (or partially liquid) piston and at least two valve-delimited chambers is disclosed. The valve-delimited chambers may be coupled, in series or parallel, between the input and the output of a fluid passage to provide either intermittent flow of the working fluid or substantially continuous working fluid flow. In at least one embodiment, a piston chamber housing a conductive liquid (e.g. liquid) piston is coupled to two valve-delimited chambers so that a single stroke of the piston both draws working fluid into one of the chambers and pushes working fluid out of the other chamber.
1 . A pump comprising:
a fluid passage including
an input to receive a working fluid;
an output to discharge the working fluid; and
two valve-delimited chambers coupled therebetween;
a piston chamber coupled to the valve-delimited chambers; and
a magnetofluiddynamic (MD) pump to drive a piston comprising liquid, wherein a single stroke of the piston draws working fluid into one of the two chambers and pushes working fluid out of the other of the two chambers.
2 . The pump of claim 1 ,
wherein a first one of the valve-delimited chambers is coupled in series with the second one of the valve-delimited chambers.
3 . The pump of claim 2 ,
wherein the two valve-delimited chambers share at least one valve.
4 . The pump of claim 1 ,
wherein the two valve-delimited chambers are coupled in parallel to each other.
5 . The pump of claim 1 ,
wherein said piston comprises a liquid metal.
6 . The pump of claim 1 ,
wherein the piston further comprises a conductive solid portion disposed within the liquid.
7 . The pump of claim 1 ,
wherein the piston consists entirely of liquid.
8 . The pump of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least a third valve delimited chamber coupled between the input and the output.
9 . The pump of claim 1 ,
wherein the working fluid is non-conductive.
10 . The pump of claim 1 ,
wherein the pump is configured in a compressor configuration; and
wherein the working fluid is a two-phase fluid.
11 . The pump of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one additional MFD pump.
12 . A method comprising:
electromagnetically driving a piston comprising conductive liquid to draw working fluid into a first valve-delimited chamber and to push working fluid out of a second valve-delimited chamber during a single stroke of the piston.
13 . The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the electromagnetically driving includes passing an alternating current through the piston to impart a reciprocating motion to the piston.
14 . The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the piston includes a conductive solid portion disposed within the conductive liquid.
15 . The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the piston consists entirely of the conductive liquid.
16 . The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the conductive liquid includes a liquid metal.
17 . The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the first valve-delimited chamber and the second valve-delimited chamber are coupled between an input and an output of a fluid passage; and
wherein pumping the working fluid includes discharging a volume of working fluid from the output of the fluid passage during alternate strokes of the piston.
18 . The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the first valve-delimited chamber and the second valve-delimited chamber are coupled between an input and an output of a fluid passage; and
wherein pumping the working fluid includes discharging a volume of working fluid from the output of the fluid passage during each stroke of the piston.
19 . The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the working fluid is non-conductive.
20 . A system comprising:
a heat sink to receive heat from a heat source;
a heat dissipater in fluid communication with said heat sink; and
a magnetofluiddynamic (MFD) pump including a piston comprising liquid to circulate a working fluid through said heat sink and said heat dissipater, wherein a single stroke of the piston draws working fluid into at least a first of a plurality of valve-delimited chambers disposed in a path of the working fluid and pushes working fluid out of at least a second of the plurality of valve-delimited chambers.
21 . The system of claim 20 ,
wherein said heat sink includes an evaporator; and
wherein said heat dissipater includes a condenser.
22 . The system of claim 20 ,
wherein said MFD pump is further to receive the working fluid as a vapor at an input of the MFD pump and discharge the working fluid as a liquid at an output of the MFD pump.
23 . The system of claim 22 , further comprising:
an expansion valve.
24 . The system of claim 20 ,
wherein said piston comprises a liquid metal.
25 . The system of claim 20 ,
wherein said piston further comprises a conductive solid portion disposed within the liquid.
26 . The system of claim 20 ,
wherein said piston consists substantially entirely of liquid.
27 . The system of claim 20 ,
wherein said MFD pump is configured to produce an intermittent flow of working fluid.
28 . The system of claim 20 ,
wherein said MFD pump is configured to produce a fully rectified flow of working fluid.
29 . A method comprising:
circulating a coolant past a device to be cooled using a magnetofluiddynamic pump employing a piston comprising a liquid, wherein a single stroke of the piston draws coolant into at least a first of a plurality of valve-delimited chambers disposed in a path of the coolant and pushes coolant out of at least a second of the plurality of valve-delimited chambers.
30 . The method of claim 29 ,
wherein said piston comprises a liquid metal.
31 . The method of claim 29 ,
wherein said piston further comprises a conductive solid portion disposed within the liquid.
32 . The method of claim 29 ,
wherein said piston consists substantially entirely of liquid.
33 . The method of claim 29 ,
wherein the circulating includes impelling the coolant out of the pump during alternate strokes of the piston.
34 . The method of claim 29 ,
wherein the circulating includes impelling the coolant out of the pump during successive strokes of the piston.