Blast media fragmenter
AssigneeCold Jet, Inc.
InventorTony R. Lehnig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fragmenter provides fragmentation of frangible blast media entrained in a subsonic flow. The flow is converged prior to reaching a fragmenting element, and the convergence may be followed by a constant cross-section area section. Immediately upstream and downstream of the fragmenting element may be an expansion area to reduce the potential of water ice buildup.
Claims19
A subsonic blast media fragmenter comprising
- a. a body defining an internal flow path, said internal flow path comprising:
- i. an inlet;
- ii. a converging section disposed downstream of said inlet;
- and
- iii. an outlet disposed downstream of said converging section;
- said internal flow path configured to maintain a fluid flow with entrained cryogenic blast media particles at subsonic speed from said inlet to said outlet;
- and
- b. at least one fragmenting element disposed intermediate said converging section and said outlet,
- said internal flow path having a first length between said inlet and said at least one fragmenting element sufficient for the entrained particles' speed to increase to the fluid flow's velocity prior to reaching said at least one fragmenting element.
A method of changing a size of blast media particles entrained in a subsonic fluid flow, each of said blast media particles having a respective initial size, the method comprising:
- a. converging said subsonic fluid flow from a first speed to a second speed, said second speed being subsonic and greater than said first speed;
- b. propelling a plurality of said blast media particles through one or more openings defined by a fragmenting element;
- and
- c. changing at least one of the propelled plurality of blast media particles from its respective initial size to a second smaller size by said propelling of said at least one of the plurality of said blast media particles through said one or more openings.
A subsonic blast media fragmenter comprising
- a. an internal flow path, said internal flow path comprising:
- i. an inlet;
- ii. a converging section disposed downstream of said inlet;
- and
- iii. an outlet disposed downstream of said converging section;
- said internal flow path configured to maintain a fluid flow with entrained cryogenic blast media particles at subsonic speed from said inlet to said outlet and
- b. at least one fragmenting element disposed intermediate said converging section and said outlet,
- said internal flow path having a first length between said inlet and said at least one fragmenting element sufficient for the entrained particles' speed to increase to the fluid flow's velocity prior to reaching said at least one fragmenting element.
A subsonic flow path configured to convey a subsonic fluid flow with entrained cryogenic blast media particles at subsonic speed throughout said flow path's length, the cryogenic blast media particles having respective sizes, the subsonic flow path comprising:
- a. a converging section configured to transition the subsonic fluid flow from a first speed to a second speed, said second speed being subsonic and higher than said first speed;
- and
- b. at least one fragmenting element disposed downstream of said converging section, said at least one fragmenting element configured to reduce the respective sizes of the cryogenic blast media particles as they flow past the fragmenting element
- said subsonic flow path having a first length upstream of said at least one fragmenting element which is sufficient for the entrained cryogenic blast media particles' speed to increase to the fluid flow's velocity prior to reaching said at least one fragmenting element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.