Method of cleaning passageways using a mixed phase flow of gas and a liquid
AssigneePrinceton Trade & Technology, Inc.
InventorsMohamed Emam Labib, Ching-Yue Lai, Peter A. Materna, Geoffrey Lawrence Mahon
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Abstract
A method of cleaning surfaces using a mixed phase cleaning mixture of an aqueous solution and a flow of gas sufficient to produce droplets of the liquid which are entrained by the gas for a time sufficient to clean tubing of various lengths and geometries and porous membranes to remove biofilm, debris and contaminants.
Claims40
A method of removing biofilm, debris and contaminants from surfaces of a passageway comprising forming a mixed phase flow of liquid droplets dispersed in a gas along a surface of the passageway from a mixture of gas and a liquid that creates shear or impact stresses and wherein the droplets are pulled from the surface of the liquid by hydrodynamic instability, for a time sufficient to remove biofilm, debris and contaminants from the surfaces.
A method of removing biofilm, debris and contaminants from the exposed surfaces of a passageway having a portion of the surfaces comprised of a permeable membrane comprising
- forming a mixed phase mixture of a liquid and a gas having a volumetric ratio of gas to liquid greater than 50:1 by introducing at least a portion of the liquid through pores in the passageway at a sufficient velocity for a sufficient time to form droplets and bubbles that remove the biofilm, debris and contaminants.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.