US 2007/0175525 A1 · Method for replenishing a source gas in a cavitation medium

Abstract

A method of replenishing reactant-depleted cavitation medium within a cavitation chamber without re-pressurizing the entire cavitation system is provided, reactant depletion resulting from the cavitation process performed within the cavitation chamber. In addition to the cavitation chamber, the cavitation system includes a cavitation medium reservoir flexibly coupled to the chamber via a pair of conduits. The flexible couplings allow the relative positions of the cavitation chamber and the cavitation medium reservoir to be varied, thereby providing a means of either forcing the cavitation fluid to flow from the chamber and into the reservoir or from the reservoir and into the chamber. Such fluid flow causes mixing of the cavitation medium contained within the chamber and that contained within the reservoir, thus allowing replenishment of the source, e.g., reactant, within the chamber by mixing the cavitation fluid contained therein with non-depleted fluid contained within the reservoir. Additionally, inducing cavitation fluid mixing by altering the relative positions of the chamber and the reservoir can be used as an aid to degassing.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method of mixing a reactant within a cavitation medium, the cavitation medium contained within a cavitation system, the method comprising the steps of:

moving the relative positions of a cavitation chamber and a cavitation medium reservoir to force at least a first portion of the cavitation medium within said cavitation chamber to flow through a flexible coupling conduit and into said cavitation medium reservoir, wherein the cavitation system comprises said cavitation chamber, said flexible coupling conduit and said cavitation medium reservoir;
and
moving the relative positions of said cavitation chamber and said cavitation medium reservoir to force at least a second portion of the cavitation medium within said cavitation medium reservoir to flow through said flexible coupling conduit and into said cavitation chamber.

A method of preparing a cavitation medium contained within a cavitation system for cavitation, the method comprising the steps of:

filling the cavitation system with a quantity of the cavitation medium, wherein said quantity of the cavitation medium is sufficient to fill a cavitation chamber within the cavitation system, partially fill a cavitation medium reservoir within the cavitation system, and fill a flexible coupling conduit connecting said cavitation chamber to said cavitation medium reservoir;
sealing the cavitation system;
degassing the cavitation medium within the cavitation system;
loading the cavitation medium with a reactant;
cavitating the cavitation medium within the cavitation chamber;
and
periodically mixing the cavitation medium within said cavitation chamber with the cavitation medium within said cavitation medium reservoir, wherein said periodic mixing step comprises:
moving the relative positions of said cavitation chamber and said cavitation medium reservoir to force at least a first portion of the cavitation medium within the cavitation chamber to flow through said flexible coupling conduit and into said cavitation medium reservoir;
and
moving the relative positions of said cavitation chamber and said cavitation medium reservoir to force at least a second portion of the cavitation medium within said cavitation medium reservoir to flow through said flexible coupling conduit and into said cavitation chamber.

7 more elements

A method of preparing a cavitation medium contained within a cavitation system for cavitation, the method comprising the steps of:

filling the cavitation system with a quantity of the cavitation medium, wherein said quantity of the cavitation medium is sufficient to fill a cavitation chamber within the cavitation system, partially fill a cavitation medium reservoir within the cavitation system, and fill a flexible coupling conduit connecting said cavitation chamber to said cavitation medium reservoir;
sealing the cavitation system;
degassing the cavitation medium within the cavitation system;
pressurizing the cavitation system with a gas containing a reactant;
cavitating the cavitation medium within the cavitation chamber, wherein said cavitating step at least partially depletes the cavitation medium of said reactant;
and
periodically replacing at least some of the cavitation medium that has been depleted of said reactant, wherein said periodic replacing step is performed without repeating the step of pressurizing the cavitation system with said reactant containing gas.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for replenishing a source gas in a cavitation medium

Life of this patent

Method for replenishing a source gas in a cavitation medium

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27