Fluidic Oscillator

A fluidic oscillator comprising:

• at least one vessel arranged to contain a working fluid;
• a pressuring means for pressurizing said working fluid;
• a de-pressurizing means for de-pressurizing said working fluid;
• wherein said pressurizing and de-pressurizing causes said working fluid to move in and out of said at least one vessel;
• at least two time delay mechanisms associated with said working fluid to cause a phase shift between changes in mass and pressure of working fluid in said at least one vessel;
• and
• including a gain mechanism that gives rise to a gain;
• and
• wherein, when each said time delay mechanism comprises a dissipative process and a capacitive process said gain is sufficient that in normal operation the magnitude of said pressure changes in said working fluid increases or remains constant with time to permit steady oscillations independent of the inertia of the working fluid.

A fluidic oscillator comprising:

• at least one vessel arranged to contain a working fluid;
• a pressuring means for pressurizing said working fluid;
• a de-pressurizing means for de-pressurizing said working fluid;
• wherein said pressurizing and de-pressurizing causes said working fluid to move in and out of said at least one vessel;
• at least two time delay mechanisms associated with said working fluid to cause a phase shift between changes in mass and pressure of working fluid in said at least one vessel;
• and
• including a gain mechanism that gives rise to a gain;
• and
• wherein said fluidic oscillator, when modeled as an electric circuit, has RC feedback, whereby said fluidic oscillator is operable to permit steady oscillations independent of the inertia of said working fluid.

Use of operating a fluidic oscillator comprising:

• a fluidic oscillator comprising:
• at least one vessel arranged to contain a working fluid;
• a pressuring means for pressurizing said working fluid;
• a de-pressurizing means for de-pressurizing said working fluid;
• wherein said pressurizing and de-pressurizing causes said working fluid to move in and out of said at least one vessel;
• at least two time delay mechanisms associated with said working fluid to cause a phase shift between changes in mass and pressure of working fluid in said at least one vessel;
• and
• including a gain mechanism that gives rise to a gain;
• the use comprising configuring said fluidic oscillator such that said time delay mechanisms each comprise dissipative and capacitive process to thereby permit steady oscillations independently of the inertia of said working fluid.

Use of operating a fluidic oscillator comprising:

• a fluidic oscillator comprising:
• at least one vessel arranged to contain a working fluid;
• a pressuring means for pressurizing said working fluid;
• a de-pressurizing means for de-pressurizing said working fluid;
• wherein said pressurizing and de-pressurizing causes said working fluid to move in and out of said at least one vessel;
• at least two time delay mechanisms associated with said working fluid to cause a phase shift between changes in mass and pressure of working fluid in said at least one vessel;
• and
• including a gain mechanism that gives rise to a gain;
• the use comprising configuring said fluidic oscillator such that, when modeled as an electric circuit, the oscillator has RC feedback, to thereby permit steady oscillations independently of the inertia of said working fluid.

A fluidic oscillator comprising:

• a. first and second vessels arranged to contain a working fluid, the cross sectional area of said second vessel being minimized within limits set by surface tension and the cross sectional area of the first vessel being less than two times greater than the cross sectional area of the second vessel;
• b. means for conjoining the first and second vessels so as to subject said two vessels to a common pressure;
• c. means for communicating the volume of working fluid contained within the first vessel to the second vessel;
• d. means for giving rise to pressure changes in the working fluid, located substantially within the second vessel;
• e. a load comprising dissipative and reactive components giving rise to a load phase angle between the mass of working fluid contained within the first vessel and the pressure changes therein due to said load;
• f. means for coupling the working fluid in the first vessel to said load such that changes in the volume of the working fluid contained in said first and second vessels give rise to transfer of work between the first vessel and the load;
• g. gain means including means to provide viscous drag, hydrostatic pressure changes due to a flow, and thermal resistance;
• h. the compliance of said working fluid and the reactive component of said load being arranged to resonate at frequency of oscillation, determined by said dissipative and reactive components and said gain.

A fluidic oscillator comprising:

• a. first and second vessels arranged to contain a working fluid;
• b. means for conjoining the first and second vessels so as to subject said two vessels to a common pressure;
• c. means for communicating the volume of working fluid contained within the first vessel to the second vessel;
• d. means for giving rise to pressure changes in the working fluid, located substantially within the second vessel;
• e. a load comprising dissipative and reactive components giving rise to a load phase angle between the mass of working fluid contained within the first vessel and the pressure changes therein due to said load;
• f. means for coupling the working fluid in the first vessel to said load such that changes in the volume of the working fluid contained in said first and second vessels give rise to transfer of work between the first vessel and the load;
• g. gain means including means to provide viscous drag, hydrostatic pressure changes due to a flow, and thermal resistance;
• h. the compliance of said working fluid and the reactive component of said load being arranged to resonate at the frequency of the oscillations, determined by said dissipative and reactive components and said gain.

A fluidic oscillator comprising:

• a. first and second vessels arranged to contain a working fluid;
• b. means for conjoining the first and second vessels so as to subject said two vessels to a common pressure;
• c. means for communicating the volume of working fluid contained within the first vessel to the second vessel;
• d. means for giving rise to pressure changes in the working fluid, located substantially within the second vessel;
• e. a load comprising dissipative and reactive components giving rise to a load phase angle between the mass of working fluid contained within the first vessel and the pressure changes therein due to said load;
• f. means for coupling the working fluid in the first vessel to said load such that changes in the volume of the working fluid contained in said first and second vessels give rise to transfer of work between the first vessel and the load;
• g. means including comprising further dissipative and reactive components giving rise to a feedback phase angle between the volume of working fluid contained within the first vessel and the pressure supplied or dissipated by an energy source or sink;
• h. the relative magnitudes of said dissipative and reactive components and said gain being chosen such that said load phase angle and said feedback phase angle are substantially equal to 90 degrees.

A thermofluidic oscillator comprising:

• a. first and second vessels arranged to contain a working fluid;
• b. means for conjoining the first and second vessels so as to subject said two vessels to a common pressure;
• c. means for communicating the volume of working fluid contained within the first vessel to the second vessel;
• d. heat exchanger means located substantially within said second vessel intended to give rise to pressure changes in the working fluid by heating or cooling of part thereof;
• e. A load comprising dissipative and reactive components giving rise to a load phase angle between the mass of working fluid contained within the first vessel and the pressure changes therein due to said load;
• f. Means of giving rise to a gain comprising further dissipative and reactive components;

A thermofluidic oscillator comprising:

• a. first and second vessels arranged to contain a working fluid which is part liquid and part vapor within the vessels;
• b. means of cojoining said two vessels so as to subject them to a common pressure;
• c. means of permitting a flow of liquid between the first vessel and the second vessel driven by the hydrostatic pressure difference at a lower portion of each said vessel due to the liquid therein;
• d. heat exchanger means located substantially within said second vessel intended to heat and thereby expand part of said working fluid when liquid level is high therein and cool and thereby contract part of said working fluid when liquid level is low therein;
• e. a load comprising dissipative and reactive components giving rise to a load phase angle between the volume of liquid contained within the first vessel and the pressure changes therein due to said load;
• f. means of giving rise to a gain comprising thermal reservoirs having a temperature difference therebetween coupled to said heat exchanger means, and further dissipative and reactive components including thermal resistance arising due to said heat exchanger means, the compressibility of said working fluid, viscous drag arising from said flow of liquid between said first and second vessels, and the change in hydrostatic pressure therein;
• g. a feedback phase angle between the volume of working fluid contained within the first vessel and the pressure therein due to said thermal reservoirs;
• h. a thermal phase angle between the temperature of said thermal reservoirs and the rate of flow of entropy thereto or therefrom;
• i. The relative magnitudes of said dissipative and reactive components and said gain being chosen such that said load phase angle and said feedback phase angle are approximately equal to 90 degrees, and said thermal phase angle is approximately equal to 0 degrees.