IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0021510
(2013-09-09)
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등록번호 |
US-8803435
(2014-08-12)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Hyde, Roderick A.
- Kare, Jordin T.
- Myhrvold, Nathan P.
- Pan, Tony S.
- Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
34 |
초록
A field emission device is configured as a heat engine.
대표청구항
▼
1. An apparatus comprising: a cathode;an anode, wherein the anode and cathode are receptive to a first power source to produce an anode electric potential higher than a cathode electric potential;a gate positioned between the anode and the cathode, the gate being receptive to a second power source t
1. An apparatus comprising: a cathode;an anode, wherein the anode and cathode are receptive to a first power source to produce an anode electric potential higher than a cathode electric potential;a gate positioned between the anode and the cathode, the gate being receptive to a second power source to produce a gate electric potential selected to induce emission of a first set of electrons from the cathode;a suppressor positioned between the gate and the anode, the suppressor being receptive to a third power source to produce a suppressor electric potential selected to provide a force on an electron in a direction pointing towards the suppressor in a region between the suppressor and the anode; andat least one path traversable for a first portion of the first set of electrons, extending from the cathode, through the gate, through the suppressor, and to the anode. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suppressor electric potential is further selected to block electron emission from the anode for a second set of electrons having energies below a second threshold energy, and wherein the second threshold energy is substantially equal to the Carnot-efficiency energy. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a dielectric layer supported by the anode, the dielectric layer being supportive of the suppressor. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cathode includes at least one field emission enhancement feature, and wherein the at least one field emission enhancement feature includes a carbon nanotube. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cathode includes at least one field emission enhancement feature, and wherein the at least one field emission enhancement feature includes a geometric tip. 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the anode includes at least one field emission enhancement feature. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the cathode and the anode comprises a material having an asymmetric Fermi surface with a selected orientation relative to the cathode or anode surface. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the cathode and the anode comprises a material having a locally minimized density of states at a selected electron energy. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: circuitry operably connected to at least one of the first, second and third power sources to vary at least one of the anode, gate and suppressor electric potentials relative to the cathode potential. 10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a meter configured to measure a current at the anode, and wherein the circuitry is responsive to the measured current to vary at least one of the first, gate and suppressor electric potentials. 11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a meter configured to measure a current at the cathode, and wherein the circuitry is responsive to the measured current to vary at least one of the first, gate and suppressor electric potentials. 12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a meter configured to measure a temperature at the anode, and wherein the circuitry is responsive to the measured temperature to vary at least one of the first, gate and suppressor electric potentials. 13. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a meter configured to measure a temperature at the cathode, and wherein the circuitry is responsive to the measured temperature to vary at least one of the first, gate and suppressor electric potentials. 14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the circuitry is configured to vary the gate and suppressor electric potentials substantially periodically. 15. A method, comprising: receiving a first signal corresponding to a heat engine, the heat engine including an anode, cathode, gas-filled region, gate and suppressor;processing the first signal to determine a first relative power output of the heat engine as a function of an anode electric potential, a gate electric potential, and a suppressor electric potential;producing a second signal based on a second power output greater than the first power output; andtransmitting the second signal corresponding to the second power output. 16. The method of claim 15 wherein producing the second signal includes: determining a change in at least one of the anode, gate and suppressor electric potentials. 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising: varying at least one of the anode, gate, and suppressor electric potentials in response to the determined change. 18. The method of claim 15 wherein producing the second signal includes: determining a change in at least one of a cathode and an anode temperature. 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising: varying at least one of the cathode and anode temperatures in response to the determined change. 20. The method of claim 15 wherein the anode, cathode, gate, and suppressor are separated by cathode-gate, gate-suppressor, and suppressor-anode separations, and wherein producing the second signal includes: determining a change in at least one of the cathode-gate, gate-suppressor, and suppressor-anode separations. 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising: varying at least one of the cathode-gate, gate-suppressor, and suppressor-anode separations in response to the determined change. 22. The method of claim 15 wherein receiving a first signal corresponding to a heat engine includes: receiving input from a user. 23. The method of claim 15 wherein the received first signal corresponds to an anode current, and wherein processing the first signal to determine a first relative power output of the heat engine as a function of an anode electric potential, a gate electric potential, and a suppressor electric potential includes: determining the relative power output based on the anode current. 24. The method of claim 15 wherein the received first signal corresponds to an anode temperature, and wherein processing the first signal to determine a first relative power output of the heat engine as a function of an anode electric potential, a gate electric potential, and a suppressor electric potential includes: determining the first relative power output based on the anode temperature. 25. The method of claim 15 wherein the received first signal corresponds to a cathode temperature, and wherein processing the first signal to determine a first relative power output of the heat engine as a function of an anode electric potential, a gate electric potential, and a suppressor electric potential includes: determining the first relative power output based on the cathode temperature. 26. A method, comprising: receiving a first signal corresponding to a heat engine, the heat engine including an anode, cathode, gas-filled region, gate and suppressor;processing the first signal to determine a first relative thermodynamic efficiency of the heat engine as a function of an anode electric potential, a gate electric potential, and a suppressor electric potential;producing a second signal based on a second thermodynamic efficiency greater than the first thermodynamic efficiency; andtransmitting the second signal corresponding to the second thermodynamic efficiency. 27. An apparatus comprising: circuitry configured to receive a first signal corresponding to a heat engine, the heat engine including an anode, cathode, gas-filled region, gate and suppressor;circuitry configured to process the first signal to determine a first relative thermodynamic efficiency of the heat engine as a function of an anode electric potential, a gate electric potential, and a suppressor electric potential;circuitry configured to produce a second signal based on a second thermodynamic efficiency greater than the first thermodynamic efficiency; andcircuitry configured to transmit the second signal corresponding to the second thermodynamic efficiency. 28. A method comprising: applying a gate electric potential to selectively release a first set of electrons from a bound state in a first region, the first region having a first temperature;applying a suppressor electric potential to selectively release a second set of electrons from emission from a bound state in a second region different from the first region, the second region having an anode electric potential that is greater than a cathode electric potential of the first region, the second region having a second temperature lower than the first temperature; andpassing a portion of the first set of electrons through a gas filled region and binding the passed portion of the first set of electrons in the second region. 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: applying the gate and suppressor potentials selected to induce net current from the first region to the second region. 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising: delivering electric power associated with the net current to a device electrically connected to the first and second regions. 31. The method of claim 28, further comprising: applying the gate and suppressor potentials selected to induce net heat flow from the second region to the first region. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising: supplying electric power from a device electrically connected to the first and second regions. 33. The method of claim 28, further comprising: passing a portion of the second set of electrons and binding the passed portion of the passed portion of the second set of electrons in the first region.
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