1. An apparatus to regulate the temperature of a beverage near a seat of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a base including a thermally conductive material that conducts heat in a direction that is at least one of to or from a container seated thereon;
a thermoelectric device thermally coupled with the base and to be energized to exchange heat with the base; and
a heat exchanger thermally coupled with the thermoelectric device and a liquid medium to exchange heat therebetween.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid medium is air, the apparatus further comprising a fan that blows air in thermal contact with the heat exchanger.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device is to be energized by a power supply to heat the base.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device is to be energized by a power supply to cool the base.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch that changes a polarity of a power supply that energizes the thermoelectric device, wherein a first state of the switch causes the power supply to cool the base, and a second state of the switch causes the power supply to heat the base.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base further includes a lock that mates with a key of an extension insert to secure the extension insert on the base, the extension insert dimensioned to receive a container holding the beverage.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base further includes a recessed portion dimensioned to receive a container holding the beverage.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a power supply; and
a processor to control the power supply to maintain a temperate of the beverage.
9. A seating area of a vehicle, the seating area comprising a temperature regulating apparatus including:
a base including a thermally conductive material that conducts heat at least one of to or from a container seated thereon;
a thermoelectric device thermally coupled with the base and to be energized to exchange heat with the base; and
a heat exchanger thermally coupled with the thermoelectric device and a liquid medium to exchange heat therebetween.
10. The seating area of claim 9, further comprising a second temperature regulating apparatus including:
a second base including second thermally conductive material that conducts heat to or from a second container seated thereon;
a second thermoelectric device thermally coupled with the second base and energized to exchange heat with the second base; and
a second heat exchanger thermally coupled with the second thermoelectric device and a second liquid medium to exchange heat therebetween.
11. The seating area of claim 9, wherein the liquid medium is air, the temperature regulating apparatus further comprising a fan that blows air in thermal contact with the heat exchanger.
12. The seating area of claim 9, wherein the thermoelectric device is to be energized by a power supply to heat the base.
13. The seating area of claim 9, wherein the thermoelectric device is to be energized by a power supply to cool the base.
14. The seating area of claim 9, further comprising a switch that changes a polarity of a power supply that energizes the thermoelectric device, wherein a first state of the switch causes the power supply to cool the base, and a second state of the switch causes the power supply to heat the base.
15. The seating area of claim 9, wherein the base further includes a lock that mates with a key of an extension insert to secure the extension insert on the base, the extension insert dimensioned to receive a container holding the beverage.
16. The seating area of claim 9, wherein the base further includes a recessed portion dimensioned to receive a container holding the beverage.
17. A method comprising:
energizing a thermoelectric device at a vehicle seat to a first state to cool a beverage container thermally coupled to the thermoelectric device when a first user input is received; and
energizing the thermoelectric device to a second state to heat the beverage container when a second user input is received.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
exchanging first heat between the thermoelectric device and a heat exchanger; and
exchanging second heat between the heat exchanger and a liquid medium.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein energizing the thermoelectric device to the first state comprises applying an electrical current to a Peltier device, and energizing the thermoelectric device to second state comprises applying an opposite electrical current to the Peltier device.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first user input corresponds to a first position of a switch, and the second user input corresponds to a second position of the switch.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A composition for a polyvinylidene difluoride hollow fiber membrane, which comprises 10 to 50% by weight of polyvinylidene difluoride, 0.05 to 15% by weight of alcohol dendrimer represented by the following Formula 1 or 2, and 20 to 90% by weight of an organic solvent, based on the total weight of the composition:
2. The composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the polyvinylidene difluoride has a molecular weight in a range of 50,000 to 800,000 daltons.
3. The composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic solvent is either one selected from the group consisting of dimethylformaldehyde, dimethylaceteamide, N-methylpyrolidone, \u03b3-Butyrolactone, dimethylsulfoxide, triethylphostate and acetone, or a mixture of two or more thereof.
4. A preparation method of a polyvinylidene difluoride hollow fiber membrane, the method comprises the steps of:
(a) preparing a spinning solution containing 10 to 50% by weight of polyvinylidene difluoride, 0.05 to 15% by weight of alcohol dendrimer represented by the following Formula 1 or 2, and 20 to 90% by weight of an organic solvent, based on the total weight of the solution;
(b) solidifying the spinning solution prepared in the step (a) through a wet-phase transition process to yield the polyvinylidene difluoride hollow fiber membrane; and
(c) washing and drying the polyvinylidene difluoride hollow fiber membrane yielded in the step (b):
5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the wet-phase transition process is performed under a temperature condition maintained in a range from 0 to 200\u25a1
6. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the wet-phase transition process is performed by using water or a mixed solvent of two or more selected from water and the organic solvent as an internal coagulant, and using water or a mixed solvent of two or more selected from water, the organic solvent and polyhydroxy alcohol as external coagulant.
7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the polyhydroxy alcohol is any one selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneglycol, glycerine, diethyleneglycol and triethyleneglycol.
8. A polyvinylidene difluoride hollow fiber membrane prepared by the method as defined in claim 4, where the hollow fiber membrane includes an asymmetric porous structure, in which a pore formed on the outer surface layer of the hollow fiber membrane has a diameter ranging between 0.01 and 0.4 \u03bcm while a pore formed in the inner surface layer of the hollow fiber membrane has a diameter ranging between 0.5 and 10 \u03bcm, the hollow fiber membrane having an inner diameter in a range of 0.005 to 3.9 mm, an outer diameter in a range of 0.1 to 4 mm, a fracture strength in a range of 5.0 to 15.0 MPa, a fracture elongation in a range of 30 to 120%, and a pure water transmissivity in a range of 400 to 1200 LMH.
9. A polyvinylidene difluoride hollow fiber membrane prepared by the method as defined in claim 5, where the hollow fiber membrane includes an asymmetric porous structure, in which a pore formed on the outer surface layer of the hollow fiber membrane has a diameter ranging between 0.01 and 0.4 \u03bcm while a pore formed in the inner surface layer of the hollow fiber membrane has a diameter ranging between 0.5 and 10 \u03bcm, the hollow fiber membrane having an inner diameter in a range of 0.005 to 3.9 mm, an outer diameter in a range of 0.1 to 4 mm, a fracture strength in a range of 5.0 to 15.0 MPa, a fracture elongation in a range of 30 to 120%, and a pure water transmissivity in a range of 400 to 1200 LMH.
10. A polyvinylidene difluoride hollow fiber membrane prepared by the method as defined in claim 6, where the hollow fiber membrane includes an asymmetric porous structure, in which a pore formed on the outer surface layer of the hollow fiber membrane has a diameter ranging between 0.01 and 0.4 \u03bcm while a pore formed in the inner surface layer of the hollow fiber membrane has a diameter ranging between 0.5 and 10 \u03bcm, the hollow fiber membrane having an inner diameter in a range of 0.005 to 3.9 mm, an outer diameter in a range of 0.1 to 4 mm, a fracture strength in a range of 5.0 to 15.0 MPa, a fracture elongation in a range of 30 to 120%, and a pure water transmissivity in a range of 400 to 1200 LMH.
11. A polyvinylidene difluoride hollow fiber membrane prepared by the method as defined in claim 7, where the hollow fiber membrane includes an asymmetric porous structure, in which a pore formed on the outer surface layer of the hollow fiber membrane has a diameter ranging between 0.01 and 0.4 \u03bcm while a pore formed in the inner surface layer of the hollow fiber membrane has a diameter ranging between 0.5 and 10 \u03bcm, the hollow fiber membrane having an inner diameter in a range of 0.005 to 3.9 mm, an outer diameter in a range of 0.1 to 4 mm, a fracture strength in a range of 5.0 to 15.0 MPa, a fracture elongation in a range of 30 to 120%, and a pure water transmissivity in a range of 400 to 1200 LMH.