David J Volpe

US Patent:

20060003217, Jan 5, 2006

Filed:

Jun 10, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/150622

Inventors:

Jamie Cohen - Ithaca NY, US
David Volpe - Ithaca NY, US
Daron Westly - Ithaca NY, US
Alexander Pechenik - Ithaca NY, US
Hector Abruna - Ithaca NY, US

Assignee:

Cornell Research Foundation, Inc. - New York NY

International Classification:

F01D 1/02
H01M 2/00

US Classification:

429034000

Abstract:

A planar microfluidic membraneless flow cell. The design eliminates the need for a mechanical membrane, such as a polyelectrolyte membrane (PEM) in a fuel cell, by providing a flow channel in which laminar flow regimes exist in two fluids flowing in mutual contact to form a “virtual interface” in the flow channel. In the flow cell, diffusion at the interface is the only mode of mass transport between the two fluids. In a fuel cell embodiment, a planar design provides to large contact areas between the two streams, which are fuel and oxidant streams, and between each stream and a respective electrode. In some embodiments, silicon microchannels, of fixed length and variable width and height, have been used to generate power using formic acid as fuel and oxygen as oxidant. Power densities on the order of 180 μW/cmhave been obtained using this planar design.

US Patent:

20060228622, Oct 12, 2006

Filed:

Nov 21, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/285509

Inventors:

Jamie Cohen - Ithaca NY, US
David Volpe - Ithaca NY, US
Hector Abruna - Ithaca NY, US

International Classification:

H01M 6/24
H01M 8/08

US Classification:

429101000, 429051000, 429046000

Abstract:

A microfluidic membraneless flow cell formed with multiple acidic/alkaline electrolyte solutions. The flow cell can be adapted to provide a dual electrolyte H/Ofuel cell that generates thermodynamic potentials of up to 1.943 V or possibly greater. The selected fuel can be hydrogen dissolved in 0.1 M KOH, and the selected oxidant can be oxygen dissolved in 0.1 M HSO. Individual fuel cells can be combined to form fuel cell stacks to generate increased power output. Furthermore, microchannels of varying dimensions may be selected, including thickness variations, and different flow rates of acid/base electrolyte solutions can be applied to satisfy predetermined power generation needs. Some (micro-) fuel cell embodiments can be formed with silicon microchannels of fixed length and variable width and height, and can be used with hydrogen or formic acid as a fuel and oxygen as an oxidant, each dissolved in different acid/base electrolyte solutions. Micro-fuel cells are also provided which can be designed to generate different power levels for various applications including portable electronic devices such as wireless communication handsets and cellular telephones.

US Patent:

20120105807, May 3, 2012

Filed:

Oct 30, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/925868

Inventors:

David James Volpe - West Milford NJ, US
Christopher Michael Volpe - Fort Worth TX, US

International Classification:

G02B 27/22
G03B 21/14

US Classification:

353 7, 359464

Abstract:

A laser projector compatible with wavelength multiplexing passive filter techniques comprises a scanning system and a plurality of laser systems, wherein each output beam of light has a unique wavelength and is similar in hue to at least one other output beam of light, wherein the output beam of light is received and deflected by a scanning system to produce stereoscopic 3D images on a projection surface. The integrity of the inherent properties of coherent laser light sources, in particular collimation, monochromacity, and speckle, is maintained, contributing to the unique appearance of the resulting stereoscopic images.