US 11,719,261 B2
Vapor-pressure driven pump
Alina Alexeenko, West Lafayette, IN (US); Katherine L Fowee, West Lafayette, IN (US); Steven M Pugia, Granger, IN (US); Steven Collicott, West Lafayette, IN (US); and Anthony Cofer, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Assigned to Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed by Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed on Oct. 4, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/593,066.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/741,303, filed on Oct. 4, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0109722 A1, Apr. 9, 2020
Int. Cl. F04F 1/04 (2006.01); F04B 19/24 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01)
CPC F04F 1/04 (2013.01) [B64G 1/402 (2013.01); F04B 19/24 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vapor pressure driven pump system comprising
a. an enclosure of a supporting structure, the enclosure constructed from a corrosion resistant material;
b. a first chamber inside of said enclosure comprising two chambers on opposite ends of the enclosure and having a first volatile material as a propellant, and a plurality of exit nozzles, each exit nozzle corresponding to a chamber of the first chamber;
c. a second chamber having a second volatile material located between the two chambers of the first chamber; and
d. a flexible collapsible diaphragm separating the first and the second chambers while allowing a pressure equalization between the first and the second chambers within said enclosure, wherein a vacuum at the plurality of exit nozzles causes vaporization of said propellant, wherein the propellant is displaced and exhausted through the plurality of exit nozzles by vapor of said second volatile material at a substantially constant pressure via movement of said collapsible diaphragm caused by the vaporization of said second volatile material.