US 12,136,718 B2
Variable thermal resistors, systems, and methods for modulating heat transport
Xiulin Ruan, West Lafayette, IN (US); Amy Marie Marconnet, West Lafayette, IN (US); Tingting Du, Jinan (CN); and Luis Delgado, State College, PA (US)
Assigned to Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed by Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed on Sep. 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/485,630.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/083,303, filed on Sep. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0102775 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 10/6551 (2014.01); H01M 10/613 (2014.01); H01M 10/653 (2014.01)
CPC H01M 10/6551 (2015.04) [H01M 10/613 (2015.04); H01M 10/653 (2015.04)] 10 Claims
 
1. A variable thermal resistor comprising;
a heat source;
a heat sink;
a reversibly-compressible, open-pore graphene foam composite between the heat source and the heat sink, the graphene foam composite comprising a graphene foam with polydimethylsiloxane embedded therein, the graphene foam composite having a thickness between the heat source and the heat sink; and
means for compressing the thickness of the graphene foam composite and controlling a degree of compression of the thickness of the graphene foam composite;
wherein the variable thermal resistor is a thermal device chosen from the group consisting of thermal regulators and thermal switches, the variable thermal resistor has a plurality of intermediate thermal conductance states between a minimum achievable thermal conductance and a maximum achievable thermal conductance, and the variable thermal resistor is configured to controllably vary heat transport therethrough by controlling the degree of compression of the thickness of the graphene foam composite with the compressing means.