Acoustic system for material transport

US4393708A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Martin B. Barmatz · La Cañada Flintridge, US
• Eugene H. Trinh · Los Angeles, US
• Taylor G. Wang · Glendale, US
• Daniel D. Elleman · San Marino, US
• Nathan Jacobi · Pasadena, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 26, 1981
• Grant date: Jul 19, 1983
• Expiry date: Oct 26, 2001

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F16C32/00
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A system is described for acoustically moving an object within a chamber, by applying wavelengths of different modes to the chamber to move the object between pressure wells formed by the modes. In one system, the object (96, FIG. 7) is placed in a first end portion of the chamber while a resonant mode is applied along the length of the chamber that produces a pressure well (86) at that location. The frequency is then switched to a second mode that produces a pressure well (100) at the center of the chamber, to draw the object thereto. When the object reaches the second pressure well and is still travelling towards the second end of the chamber, the acoustic frequency is again shifted to a third mode (which may equal the first mode) that has a pressure well (106) in the second end portion of the chamber, to draw the object thereto. A heat source (108) may be located near the second end of the chamber to heat the sample, and after the sample is heated it can be cooled by moving it in a corresponding manner back to the first end portion of the chamber. The transducers (88, 98, 110) for levitating and moving the object may be all located at the cool first end of the chamber.