Planar passive thermal diode for directional heat flow in
This technology is a passive heat valve — a device that lets heat flow freely in one direction but resists it in the reverse direction, with no moving parts or power input. It works by trapping a small amount of liquid between two plates: one plate has a textured surface that wicks fluid, and the other is smooth. When heat flows in the preferred direction, the liquid bridges the gap and conducts heat efficiently; when heat tries to flow the other way, the liquid retracts and the gap becomes an insulating barrier. The gap between the plates is precisely sized to exploit the natural physics of liquid surface tension, making the switching effect automatic and reliable.
What you could build
A thin, solid-state thermal diode insert for electronics packaging, spacecraft thermal management, or battery thermal regulation systems, sold to defense electronics integrators, satellite manufacturers, or consumer electronics OEMs needing compact passive thermal control.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense electronics and satellite manufacturers clustered in Northern Virginia — including primes like Northrop Grumman, Leidos, and Raytheon — routinely need compact thermal management solutions for space and airborne hardware.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Boreyko, Jonathan B., Edalatpour, Mojtaba, Murphy, Kevin, Mukherjee, Ranit, Boreyko, Jonathan B., Edalatpour, Mojtaba, Murphy, Kevin, Mukherjee, Ranit
- Granted
- December 30, 2021
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 108807
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.