A device for converting the thermal agitation of a gas into a force which can be used in a motor.

摘要

The invention relates to the discovery of an aerodynamic effect in open cavities at the surface of a solid in contact with a gas. The device comprises a solid surface having open cavities, and a contacting gas. Since the size of the cavities is less than or at most approximately equal to the mean free path of the gas, the movement of the gas molecules in the cavities generates a force which is exerted on the solid surface. Cavities which are sufficiently small to have an effect on a gas at atmospheric pressure are manufactured by anisotropic etching on monocrystalline silicon. The surfaces having cavities are employed as a sealed compartment filled with gas. These surfaces are fixed to supports so as to exert a driving torque on a shaft.