MICROSCALE POWER GENERATION AND PROPULSION:

IT'S NOT THE SAME AS BIG DEVICES MADE SMALLER

 

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Abstract

 

Despite numerous advantages of fuels over batteries, combustion devices have not yet been employed for electrical power production and propulsion at small scales.  Most current micro-scale concepts employ scaled-down versions of existing macroscale devices, though such microdevices experience more difficulties with heat losses, friction, sealing, fabrication, assembly etc. than their macroscale counterparts.   This talk will emphasize the science of reacting flows in microscale devices including (1) performance of plastic spiral counterflow heat-recirculating "Swiss Roll" combustors, (2) catalytic combustion at microscales, (3) power generation using single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells and (4) pumping using thermal transpiration in nanoporous materials.  Practical implementation of these concepts will also be discussed.