Material transport apparatus and method
OwnerWalter Chen, C. K. Hari Dharaninventors
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Abstract
An invention for transporting material is described. The material, which may be or include a liquid or particles, be transported floats on and flows on a more dense fluid. Standing waves may be induced in the more dense fluid, and devices are provided to either force the transported fluid in a direction, or to prevent the transported fluid from flowing in a direction counter to the flow direction. The inventive apparatus and method have the ability to transport fluids long distances with much less frictional losses than convention technology.
Claims30
An apparatus adapted to accept two or more fluids, where the two or more fluids includes a first fluid and a second fluid that is more dense than the first fluid, and where the first fluid is transported in a flow direction, said apparatus comprising:
- a channel to accept the two or more fluids;
- a first means to produce periodic standing waves in the accepted first fluid along the flow direction;
- and
- a second means to induce a net motion of the first fluid in the flow direction.
A method to accept one or more fluids and transport a first fluid of the one or more accepted fluids in a flow direction, said method comprising:
- accepting one or more fluids in a channel;
- imparting a periodic standing wave to the accepted fluids, where said standing wave is generally aligned with the flow direction;
- and
- providing means to inhibit the flow of the accepted first fluid in a direction counter to said flow direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.