Biolife Solutions. has been granted a patent for a method to enhance gas flow in a gamma-configured Stirling heat pump. This innovation involves using linear electric motors and a variable frequency AC power source to adjust piston amplitude, ensuring efficient operation and preventing gas bearing failure while maintaining thermal cooling power. GlobalData’s report on Biolife Solutions gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Biolife Solutions, Laboratory automation robots was a key innovation area identified from patents. Biolife Solutions's grant share as of July 2024 was 44%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Method for enhancing gas flow in stirling heat pump
The patent US12038214B2 outlines a method designed to enhance the working gas flow rate through gas bearings in a free piston, gamma configured Stirling heat pump. This system is thermally linked to a cooler's storage chamber and features a displacer and reciprocating pistons powered by linear electric motors. The method involves driving the pistons with a variable frequency AC power source, monitoring the pistons' amplitude, and adjusting the operating frequency based on the amplitude readings. Specifically, if the amplitude falls below a predetermined activation threshold, the frequency of the AC power source is increased to boost the Stirling heat pump's operating frequency, thereby preventing potential gas bearing failures.
The claims further detail a cyclical approach to this method, incorporating safety margins and thermal inertia time delays. The selected activation amplitude is set above a defined gas bearing failure amplitude, ensuring operational safety. The method also includes provisions for reducing the operating frequency if the piston amplitude exceeds a specified deactivation threshold. This reduction is executed in a manner that accounts for previous frequency increases, with a similar thermal inertia time delay applied to prevent rapid fluctuations. The incremental adjustments to frequency are designed to be smooth and can range from 0.1 Hz to 2 Hz, with the overall aim of maintaining optimal performance and preventing gas bearing failures in the Stirling heat pump system.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
