US 11,867,319 B2
Microelectronic thermal valve
Alina Alexeenko, West Lafayette, IN (US); Anthony George Cofer, Lafayette, IN (US); and Stephen Douglas Heister, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Assigned to Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed by Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed on May 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/306,811.
Application 17/306,811 is a continuation of application No. 15/370,633, filed on Dec. 6, 2016, granted, now 10,995,879.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/263,719, filed on Dec. 6, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0057018 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16K 99/00 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01); B64G 1/10 (2006.01); B64G 1/50 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 99/0017 (2013.01) [B64G 1/10 (2013.01); B64G 1/401 (2013.01); B64G 1/50 (2013.01); F16K 99/0036 (2013.01); F16K 2099/0092 (2013.01); F16K 2099/0094 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system using water and ambient conditions for applying a thrust to a spacecraft, comprising:
a channel having an inlet and an exit; and
a resistive heater located at the inlet;
wherein the resistive heater is operable to generate a heat, the channel is operable to be blocked by a surface tension of the water in response to an absence of an application of the heat to the water, and the channel is operable to permit an ejection of the water from the exit to the ambient conditions in response to a change in a physical property of the water caused by an application of the heat to the water.