Apparatus for manufacturing and stabilizing coal-oil-water fuel mixture

Apparatus for manufacturing a coal-oil-water mixture for use as a fuel comprising

• (a) a grinder for grinding coal to a relatively fine particle size;
• (b) mixing means for controllably mixing said coal particles with water and oil;
• and
• (c) a sonic agitator to stabilize the coal-oil-water mixture;
• the sonic agitator comprising:
• (i) a first and second parallel plate having the front surfaces thereof facing each other and spaced at a predetermined distance for forming two sides of a processing chamber;
• (ii) a spacer interposed between said parallel plates for forming the other, peripheral sides of said processing chamber, said spacer having an input aperture for enabling said fuel mixture to flow into said processing chamber and an outlet aperture for enabling said fuel mixture to flow out of said processing chamber;
• (iii) at least one first transducer secured to the back surface of said first plate and for producing oscillations thereof;
• (iv) at least one second transducer secured to the back surface of said second plate and for producing oscillations thereof;
• (v) means functionally connected to and for causing each of said first and second transducers to oscillate at a predetermined frequency;
• (vi) means functionally connected to said first and second transducers and for causing said first transducer to oscillate in a predetermined relative phase relationship to said second transducer;
• and
• (vii) means functionally connected to and for causing each of said first and second transducers to oscillate at a predetermined amplitude;
• whereupon, upon causing said fuel mixture to flow through said processing chamber while causing said first and second transducers to oscillate at said predetermined phase, amplitude and frequency, said plates will oscillate thereby creating oscillations within said fuel mixture in said processing chamber thereby treating said fuel mixture.

Apparatus for manufacturing a coal-oil-water mixture for use as a fuel comprising

• (a) a grinder for grinding coal to a relatively fine particle size;
• (b) mixing means for controllably mixing said coal particles with water and oil;
• and
• (c) a sonic agitator to stabilize the coal-oil-water mixture;
• the sonic agitator comprising:
• (i) a processing chamber having an input thereto and an outlet therefrom for said fuel mixture to flow therethrough and to be treated therein;
• (ii) two opposed rectilinear plates in contact with said fuel mixture in said chamber, said plates being for oscillation and said plates being disposed substantially parallel to each other, said plates forming two surfaces of said processing chamber and the front surfaces of said plates facing each other;
• (iii) a first plurality of magnetostrictive transducers having their radiating surfaces secured to the backs of one of said opposed plates;
• (iv) a second plurality of magnetostrictive transducers having their radiating surfaces secured to the backs of the other of said plates;
• (v) oscillating means for producing first signals having a frequency selectable within a predetermined range of frequencies;
• (vi) phase means functionally interconnected with said oscillating means and responsive to the frequency output thereof for producing at least two first output signals having selectable phase relationships therebetween;
• (vii) power signal means functionally interconnected with said oscillating means, and responsive to the frequency output thereof, and functionally interconnected with said phase means, and responsive to said first output signals thereof, for producing a first and second set of power signals, said first set of power signals corresponding to one of said first output signals and said second set of power signals corresponding to the other of said first output signals, said first set of power signals corresponding in number to said first plurality of transducers and said second set of power signals corresponding in number to said second plurality of transducers, each one of said first set of power signals corresponding respectively to one of said first plurality of transducers, each one of said second set of power signals corresponding respectively to one of said second plurality of transducers, said power signal means for controlling the magnitude of power within said first and second sets of power signals;
• (viii) a first set of driving means corresponding in number to said first plurality of transducers and functionally interconnected with said first set of power signals and said first plurality of transducers, each of said first set of driving means respectively responsive to said first set of power signals for driving respectively said first plurality of transducers;
• and
• (ix) a second set of driving means corresponding in number to said second plurality of transducers and functionally interconnected with said second set of power signals and said second plurality of transducers, each of said second set of driving means respectively responsive to said second set of power signals for driving respectively said second plurality of transducers.

Apparatus for manufacturing a coal-oil-water mixture for use as a fuel comprising

• (a) a grinder for grinding coal to a relatively fine particle size;
• (b) mixing means for controllably mixing said coal particles with water and oil;
• and
• (c) a sonic agitator to stabilize the coal-oil-water mixture;
• the sonic agitator comprising:
• (i) a plurality of serially connected processing chambers, each one having an input thereto and an outlet therefrom for said fuel mixture to flow therethrough and to be treated therein, the output of one processing chamber connected to the input of the next successive processing chamber;
• (ii) a plurality of sets of two opposed, substantially parallel plates, said plurality of sets being equal in number to said plurality of processing chambers, each set being within one respective processing chamber, each of said opposed plates being in contact with said fuel mixture within their respectively associated processing chambers, said opposed plates within each of said sets for being vibrated at a predetermined frequency;
• (iii) means functionally connected to each of said opposed plates for causing each of said plates within each of said sets to oscillate at said predetermined frequency;
• (iv) phase means functionally connected to each of said opposed plates for causing one of said plates within each of said sets to oscillate in a predetermined phase relationship relative to the other corresponding plate within each of said sets;
• and
• (v) means functionally connected to each of said opposed plates for causing each of said plates to oscillate at a predetermined amplitude of oscillation.