| Method and apparatus for loading a source gas into a cavitation medium -> Monitor Keywords |
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Method and apparatus for loading a source gas into a cavitation mediumRelated Patent Categories: Pumps, One Fluid Pumped By Contact Or Entrainment With Another, By Condensation Of Motive FluidMethod and apparatus for loading a source gas into a cavitation medium description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070248470, Method and apparatus for loading a source gas into a cavitation medium. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to cavitation processes and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for loading a source gas into a cavitation system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Sonoluminescence is a well-known phenomena discovered in the 1930's in which light is generated when a liquid is cavitated. Although a variety of techniques for cavitating the liquid are known (e.g., spark discharge, laser pulse, flowing the liquid through a Venturi tube), one of the most common techniques is through the application of high intensity sound waves. [0003] In essence, the cavitation process consists of three stages; bubble formation, growth and subsequent collapse. The bubble or bubbles cavitated during this process absorb the applied energy, for example sound energy, and then release the energy in the form of light emission during an extremely brief period of time. The intensity of the generated light depends on a variety of factors including the physical properties of the liquid (e.g., density, surface tension, vapor pressure, chemical structure, temperature, hydrostatic pressure, etc.) and the applied energy (e.g., sound wave amplitude, sound wave frequency, etc.). [0004] It is generally recognized that during the collapse of a cavitating bubble extremely high temperature plasmas are developed, leading to the observed sonoluminescence effect. This phenomena is at the heart of a considerable amount of research as scientists and engineers attempt to both completely characterize the phenomena and find applications for it. Noted applications include sonochemistry, chemical detoxification, ultrasonic cleaning and nuclear fusion. [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,796 discloses a cavitation chamber comprised of a refractory metal such as tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, rhenium or some alloy thereof. Acoustic energy is supplied to the liquid (e.g., lithium or an alloy thereof) within the chamber by six metal acoustic horns coupled to transducers. The tips of the horns project into the chamber while the rearward portion of each horn is coupled to a heat exchanger system, the heat exchanger system withdrawing heat generated by the reactions within the chamber. The inventors note that by removing heat in this manner, the liquid remains within the chamber, thus avoiding the need to pump the chamber liquid. In one disclosed embodiment, the source (i.e., deuterium) is introduced into the cavitation medium through a conduit attached to the top of the chamber, the concentration of the source being controlled by the dissociation pressure over the surface of the host liquid. In an alternate disclosed embodiment, an external processing system with a combination pump and mixer removes deuterium and tritium gases released from the cavitation zone and trapped within the chamber or tritium gases trapped within the Li-blanket surrounding the chamber and then reintroduces the previously trapped deuterium and tritium into the cavitation zone via a conduit coupled to the cavitation chamber. Additional deuterium may also be introduced into the mixer. [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,341, a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,796, discloses a slightly modified, cylindrical cavitation chamber. The chamber is surrounded by an external heating coil which allows the liquid within the chamber to be maintained at the desired operating temperature. The system is degassed prior to operation by applying a vacuum through a duct running through the cover of the chamber. During operation, the inventor notes that graphite, dissolved in the host liquid metal, is converted to diamond. The diamond-rich host material is removed via an outlet duct adjacent to the bottom of the chamber and graphite-rich host material is removed via an outlet duct adjacent to the upper end of the chamber. Additional host material and graphite are added by lowering rods comprised of the host material and graphite, respectively, into the heated chamber. [0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,173 discloses a sonoluminescence system that uses a transparent spherical flask fabricated from Pyrex.RTM., Kontes.RTM., quartz or other suitable glass and ranging in size from 10 milliliters to 5 liters. The inventors disclose that preferably the liquid within the flask is degassed and the flask is sealed prior to operation. In one disclosed embodiment, the cavitation chamber is surrounded by a temperature control system, thus allowing the liquid within the chamber to be cooled to a temperature of 1.degree. C. Bubbles are introduced into the cavitation fluid using a variety of techniques including dragging bubbles into the fluid, for example with a probe, and localized boiling. [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,104 discloses a shock wave chamber partially filled with a liquid. The remaining portion of the chamber is filled with gas which can be pressurized by a connected pressure source. Acoustic transducers mounted in the sidewalls of the chamber are used to position an object within the chamber while another transducer delivers a compressional acoustic shock wave into the liquid. A flexible membrane separating the liquid from the gas reflects the compressional shock wave as a dilatation wave focused on the location of the object about which a bubble is formed. [0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,323 discloses a cavitation chamber filled with a low compressibility liquid such as a liquid metal, the chamber enclosed within a temperature controlled container. A sealed fluid reservoir is also enclosed within the temperature controlled container, the reservoir connected to the bottom of the cavitation chamber by a pipe. By pressurizing or evacuating the reservoir, fluid can be forced into or withdrawn from the cavitation chamber. Fluid flow into or out of the chamber is aided by a vacuum pump and a pressurized gas source coupled to the top of the cavitation chamber. The system includes two material delivery systems for introducing materials or mixtures of materials into the chamber. One of the delivery systems is coupled to the bottom of the chamber and is intended for use with materials of a lower density than that of the cavitation liquid, thus causing the material to float upwards. The second delivery system is coupled to the top of the chamber and is intended for use with materials of a higher density than that of the cavitation liquid, thus causing the material to sink once introduced into the chamber. [0010] PCT Application No. US02/16761 discloses a nuclear fusion reactor in which at least a portion of the liquid within the reactor is placed into a state of tension, this state of tension being less than the cavitation threshold of the liquid. The liquid preferably includes enriched deuterium or tritium, the inventors citing deuterated acetone as an exemplary liquid. In at least one disclosed embodiment, acoustic waves are used to pretension the liquid. After the desired state of tension is obtained, a cavitation initiation source, such as a neutron source, nucleates at least one bubble within the liquid, the bubble having a radius greater than a critical bubble radius. The nucleated bubbles are then imploded, the temperature generated by the implosion being sufficient to induce a nuclear fusion reaction. [0011] PCT Application No. CA03/00342 discloses a nuclear fusion reactor in which a bubble of fusionable material is compressed using an acoustic pulse, the compression of the bubble providing the necessary energy to induce nuclear fusion. The nuclear fusion reactor is spherically shaped and filled with a liquid such as molten lithium or molten sodium. A pressure control system is used to maintain the liquid at the desired operating pressure. To form the desired acoustic pulse, a pneumatic-mechanical system is used in which a plurality of pistons associated with a plurality of air guns strike the outer surface of the reactor with sufficient force to form a shock wave within the liquid in the reactor. In one disclosed embodiment, the spherical reactor is coupled to a fluid flow circuit in which a pump and a valve control the flow of fluid. A reservoir containing a fusionable material, preferably in gaseous form, is in communication with the fluid flow circuit. When desired, a bubble of the fusionable material, preferably encapsulated in a spherical capsule, is released from the reservoir and into the fluid flow circuit, which then injects the bubble into a port at the bottom of the chamber. [0012] Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/001,720, filed Dec. 1, 2004, discloses a system for circulating cavitation fluid within a closed-loop fluid circulatory system coupled to the cavitation chamber. Cavitation fluid can be circulated throughout the system before, during or after cavitation chamber operation. As disclosed, a network of conduits couples the cavitation chamber to a cavitation fluid reservoir and at least one external fluid pump. Manipulation of various valves within the conduit network allows the cavitation fluid to either be pumped from the reservoir into the cavitation chamber or from the cavitation chamber into the reservoir. The disclosed system provides a means of draining and/or filling the cavitation chamber with minimal, if any, exposure of the cavitation fluid to the outside environment. [0013] Although a variety of sonoluminescence systems have been designed, they do not provide an efficient system for introducing a source, e.g., a reactant, into the cavitation medium. Accordingly, what is needed is a cavitation system that can be used for source loading. The present invention provides such a system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0014] The present invention provides a system and method of use for a cavitation system in which a source gas, e.g., a reactant, is loaded into the cavitation medium prior to cavitation. The cavitation system of the invention includes a cavitation chamber with suitable cavitation drivers and a pressurized gas source coupled to the chamber. A valve interposed between the source gas and the cavitation chamber controls the loading process in which the cavitation medium is loaded with the desired reactant (i.e., the source gas). In another aspect of the invention, a vacuum system is coupled to the cavitation system for use during degassing procedures. The vacuum system may include a cold trap. Preferably multiple valves are used to couple/de-couple the vacuum system and the gas source to the cavitation system when required, for example as a means of protecting pressure and vacuum gauges attached to the system. [0015] In one embodiment of the invention, the cavitation medium (e.g., metal, salt) has a melting temperature higher than the ambient temperature. In order to accommodate such a medium, the cavitation chamber and the cavitation medium fill reservoir as well as any coupling conduits in which the cavitation fluid is expected to flow are heated to a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the intended cavitation medium. Preferably in this embodiment the system components that must be heated are located within an oven. Alternately the desired temperature can be reached using localized heaters to heat the cavitation chamber, fill reservoir and those portions of the conduits through which the cavitation fluid must pass. [0016] In another embodiment of the invention, a method of loading a cavitation medium with a source, e.g., reactant, is provided. The cavitation system is first filled with sufficient cavitation fluid to fill the cavitation chamber to the desired operating capacity (e.g., full, partially full). After filling to the desired level, the system is sealed and degassed. Cavitation may be used to aid the degassing procedure. The cavitation medium is then loaded with the desired source, e.g., reactant, by pressurizing the system with the desired gas. The cavitation process is then initiated in the cavitation chamber. Depending upon the melting temperature of the cavitation medium, this embodiment of the invention may also include the step of heating the cavitation medium as well as all components through which the cavitation medium flows. [0017] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] FIG. 1 is an illustration of the primary components of a system configured in accordance with the invention; [0019] FIG. 2 illustrates the steps performed during use of the gas loading system shown in FIG. 1; [0020] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a system similar to that shown in FIG. 1, showing an alternate means of filling the cavitation chamber with cavitation fluid; Continue reading about Method and apparatus for loading a source gas into a cavitation medium... Full patent description for Method and apparatus for loading a source gas into a cavitation medium Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and apparatus for loading a source gas into a cavitation medium patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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