Acoustic agglomeration methods and apparatus
US4475921A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 24, 1982 |
| Grant date | Oct 9, 1984 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 24, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB01D51/08
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Methods are described for using acoustic energy to agglomerate fine particles on the order of one micron diameter that are suspended in gas, to provide agglomerates large enough for efficient removal by other techniques. The gas with suspended particles, is passed through the length of a chamber (24) while acoustic energy at a resonant chamber mode is applied to set up one or more acoustic standing wave patterns (40,42,44) that vibrate the suspended particles to bring them together so they agglomerate. Several widely different frequencies can be applied to efficiently vibrate particles of widely differing sizes. The standing wave pattern can be applied along directions (R in FIG. 3) transversed to the flow of the gas. The particles can be made to move in circles by applying acoustic energy in perpendicular directions (P,Q in FIG. 6) with the energy in both directions being of the same wavelength but 90.degree. out of phase.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.