Method and apparatus for the generation of ultrasonic energy fields within circular structures containing a liquid

• US 20020121285A1
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paper Quality Management Associates
• Original Assignee: Paper Quality Management Associates
• Inventors: Poniatowski, Susan Elizabeth, Poniatowski, John Eugene, Walkinshaw, John William
• Granted Patent: US 6,736,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/04 Breaking emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/283 Settling tanks provided with vibrators
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 1/00 Conditioning for facilitating separation by altering physical properties of the matter to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/123 Cleaning travelling work, e.g. webs, articles on a conveyor conveyors B65G; handling webs B65H
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/36 ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/28 from the paper or cellulose industry
• CPC Class Codes: D21B 1/325 de-inking devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/64 Paper recycling

Abstract

A resonant chamber that produces an ultrasonic energy field about a central axis of the chamber to separate contrary matter from a working material. The resonant chamber has a circular cross section and utilizes a series of transducer elements to generate an ultrasonic transverse wave disposed about the internal longitudinal axis of the chamber. In addition, a driver circuit is provided that is able to efficiently excite the transducer elements to generate the ultrasonic transverse wave with a minimum of heat dissipation and power loss.

Claims

1. A system for separating contrary matter from a working material, comprising:

a processing element having a circular cross-section, an inner passage, and an outer wall, a first portion of the processing element being adapted to communicate with a working material source and a second portion of the processing element adapted to provide an egress for the working material; and

a plurality of transducers coupled to the outer wall of the processing element for producing an energy field within the inner passage of the processing element, when activated, to separate the contrary matter from the working material.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an exciter for exciting one or more of the plurality of transducers to generate the energy field within the inner passage of the processing element to separate the contrary matter from the working material.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy field induces the working material to vibrate within the inner passage of the processing element to separate the contrary matter from the working material.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing element and the energy field formed within the processing element form a resonating structure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the separation of the contrary matter from the working material by the energy field is independent of the length of the processing element.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the separation of the contrary matter from the working material by the energy field is dependent on the amount of applied energy the working material is subjected to.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the contrary matter comprises one of an electrophotographic imaging compound, a protective coating, and a biochemical compound.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the working material comprises one of a biochemical compound and a lignocellulosic material.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transducers are arranged to form a regenerative phased array for generating the energy field.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy field within the processing element fuses the separated contrary matter.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing element comprises an elongated conduit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the elongated conduit has an internal diameter of at least one inch.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the elongated conduit has an internal diameter correlating to the energy field frequency.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the elongated conduit is composed of titanium or stainless steel.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing element is a rigid structure capable of transmitting energy.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of transducers comprise a piezoelectric film, or a magnetic transducer, or a magnetoconstrictive transducer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the piezoelectric film comprises at least one layer of a polyvinyldene fluoride (PVDF) film.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein a top surface and a bottom surface of the piezoelectric film are electrically conductive.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a driver circuit in communication with said plurality of transducers for exciting said transducers.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy field generated by said plurality of transducers is disposed substantially about a longitudinal axis of the processing element.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy field generated by said plurality of transducers is concentrated substantially within a central portion of the processing element.

22. The system of claim 4, wherein the working material is subjected to the energy field formed within the inner passage of the processing element for between about 25 seconds and about 120 seconds.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy field produced by the plurality of transducers has a frequency of at least 20 kHz.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy field produced by the plurality of transducers has a wavelength that is related to the internal diameter of the processing element, and is determined according to (π

) ({square root}2) (D_i), wherein D_i is the internal diameter of the processing element.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the energy field generated by said plurality of transducers is a transverse wave.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of disposing the energy field substantially within a central portion of the processing element.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of inducing the working material to vibrate within the inner passage of the processing element to separate the contrary matter from the working material.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of disposing the energy field generated by said plurality of transducers substantially about a longitudinal axis of the processing element.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising the step of fusing the separated contrary matter with the energy field within the processing element.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the processing element and the energy field formed within the processing element form a resonant structure.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the separation of the contrary matter from the working material by the energy field is independent of length of the processing element.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the separation of the contrary matter from the working material by the energy field is dependent on the amount of applied energy the working material is subjected to.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the contrary matter comprises one of an electrophotographic imaging compound, a protective coating, and a biochemical compound.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the working material comprises one of an inorganic compound, a biochemical compound, and a lignocellulosic material.

36. The method of claim 26, wherein the plurality of transducers is adapted to form a regenerative phased array for generating the energy field.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein the processing element comprises an elongated conduit.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the elongated conduit has an internal diameter of at least one inch.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the elongated conduit is composed of titanium or stainless steel.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the elongated conduit has an internal diameter correlating to the energy field wavelength.

41. The method of claim 26, wherein the processing element is a rigid structure capable of transmitting energy.

42. The method of claim 26, wherein one or more of the plurality of transducers comprise a piezoelectric film, or a magnetic transducer, or a magnetoconstrictive transducer.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the piezoelectric film comprises at least one layer of a polyvinyldene fluoride (PVDF) film.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein a top surface and a bottom surface of the piezoelectric film are electrically conductive.

45. The method of claim 26, further comprises the step of subjecting the working material to the energy field within the processing element for at least 25 seconds.

46. The method of claim 26, wherein the wavelength produced by the plurality of transducers is related to the internal diameter of the processing element and is determined according to (π

) ({square root}2) (D_i), wherein D_i is the internal diameter of its processing element.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the energy field generated by the plurality of piezoelectric elements is disposed substantially about a longitudinal axis of the elongated processing conduit.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the energy field generated by said plurality of transducers is a transverse wave.

50. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the energy field generated by said plurality of piezoelectric elements is disposed substantially within a central portion of the processing element.

51. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the lignocellulosic material is subjected to the energy field generated by the piezoelectric elements for between about 25 seconds and about 120 seconds.

52. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the piezoelectric elements comprise a piezoelectric film.

53. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the piezoelectric film is at least one layer of polyvinyldene fluoride (PVDF) film.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, further comprising a driver circuit for driving the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein a first set of said plurality of piezoelectric elements are driven 180°

out of phase from a second set of said plurality of piezoelectric elements.

56. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the contrary matter comprises electrophotographic imaging components.

57. The apparatus of claim 48, further comprising an exciter for exciting one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements to generate the energy field within the processing element to separate the contrary matter from the working material.

58. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the separation of the contrary matter from the lignocellulosic material by the energy field generated by the plurality of piezoelectric elements is dependent upon an amount of applied energy the lignocellulosic material is subjected to.

59. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the energy field within the processing element fuses the separated contrary matter.

25. A method for separating contrary matter from a working material, the method comprising the steps of:

introducing a working material to a processing element having a circular cross-section;

exciting a plurality of transducers coupled to the processing element to produce an energy field within the processing element; and

separating the contrary matter from the working material with the energy field formed within the processing element.

47. An apparatus for separating contrary matter from a lignocellulosic material, comprising:

a processing element having a circular cross-section and an outer wall, said processing element being sized and dimensioned for accepting lignocellulosic material; and

a plurality of piezoelectric elements coupled to the outer wall of the processing element for generating an energy field within the processing element to separate the contrary matter from the lignocellulosic material.

60. A driver circuit suitable for use with a transducer assembly for generating energy to separate contrary matter from a working material, the driver circuit comprising:

a plurality of isolatable power sources for generating an output power signal;

an output stage in circuit with said plurality of power sources for generating an output triggering signal in response to the output power signal; and

a resonant circuit stage in circuit with the output stage for generating an excitation signal for exciting the transducer assembly in response to the triggering signal.

61. The driver circuit of claim 60, wherein the output stage comprising a push-pull transistor arrangement for generating complementary square wave signals.

62. The driver circuit of claim 60, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a toroidal inductor in serial connection with a piezoelectric element.

63. The driver circuit of claim 60, wherein the plurality of isolatable power sources comprises one or more DC to DC regulators.

64. The driver circuit of claim 60, wherein the plurality of isolatable power sources comprises one or more AC to DC converters.