Active acoustic piping
AssigneeBAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
InventorMatthew M. DeAngelis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Active acoustic piping that allows treatment of material flowing in a piping system is disclosed. Treatment of waste water and other fluids is enabled, where acoustic radiation operates on the flow material. An inner pipe has a plurality of transducer elements disposed on its external perimeter. A buffer zone around the transducer elements provides an acoustic impedance mismatch, which concentrates the acoustic energy into the flow material traveling in the inner pipe. Processes such as decontamination, flow unclogging, fluid and particulate mixing, particulate size reduction, and particulate separation are enabled. No pressure compensation scheme is required.
Claims22
An active acoustic piping apparatus for processing flow material, the apparatus comprising:
- an inner pipe having an external perimeter and a center;
- a transducer layer disposed around the inner pipe's external perimeter, the transducer layer adapted for receiving power from an alternating supply and providing acoustic energy;
- and
- a buffer zone around the transducer layer, adapted to provide an acoustic impedance mismatch, thereby concentrating acoustic energy from the transducer layer into the inner pipe's center.
A method for processing flow material traveling through a piping system, the method comprising:
- flowing the flow material through an inner pipe having an external perimeter and a center;
- providing acoustic energy with a plurality of transducer elements disposed around the external perimeter of the inner pipe;
- and
- concentrating the acoustic energy into the inner pipe's center by providing an acoustic impedance mismatch with a buffer zone around the plurality of transducer elements.
A method for manufacturing an apparatus adapted for processing flow material traveling through a piping system, the method comprising:
- providing an inner pipe having an external perimeter and a center;
- disposing a plurality of transducer elements around the inner pipe, the transducer elements adapted for providing acoustic energy;
- and
- providing a buffer zone around the plurality of transducer elements adapted for concentrating the acoustic energy into the inner pipe's center by providing an acoustic impedance mismatch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.