Methods and apparatus for dispersing a fluent material utilizing an electron beam
First Claim
1. A method of dispersing a fluent material comprising the steps of:
- (a) passing a fluent material to be dispersed past a first side of an electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material;
(b) supplying electrons on a second, opposite side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through the membrane and enter the fluent material so as to provide a net charge on the discharged fluent material, whereby the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, the method further comprising the step of removing positively charged particles from said fluent material in the vicinity of the first side of said membrane prior to dispersion of said fluent material.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for dispersing a fluent material such as a liquid includes a device for discharging a stream of the fluent material and a device for providing energetic electrons such that the electrons impinge on the fluent material to provide a net negative charge on the fluent material in the discharged stream. The fluent material discharged is dispersed at least partially under the influence of the net negative charge so imparted. The electron-supply device includes a chamber separated from the fluid passageway by an electron-permeable membrane, and may also include an electron gun for generating a beam of energetic electrons such that the electron beam passes through the window and impinges on the fluent material. The electrons may impinge on the fluent material as the fluent material is discharged from the device so that the fluid flow carries the charged portions of the fluent material away from the device. The apparatus may be used to atomize liquids even where the liquids are electrically conductive.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method of dispersing a fluent material comprising the steps of:
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(a) passing a fluent material to be dispersed past a first side of an electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; (b) supplying electrons on a second, opposite side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through the membrane and enter the fluent material so as to provide a net charge on the discharged fluent material, whereby the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, the method further comprising the step of removing positively charged particles from said fluent material in the vicinity of the first side of said membrane prior to dispersion of said fluent material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of dispersing a fluent material comprising the steps of:
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(a) passing a fluent material to be dispersed past a first side of an electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; (b) supplying electrons on a second, opposite side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through the membrane and enter the fluent material so as to provide a net charge on the discharged fluent material, whereby the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, the method further comprising the step of varying the quantity of said electrons at said second side with time. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of dispersing a fluent material comprising the steps of:
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(a) passing a fluent material to be dispersed past a first side of an electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; (b) supplying electrons on a second, opposite side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through the membrane and enter the fluent material so as to provide a net charge on the discharged fluent material, whereby the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, wherein said electron-permeable membrane comprises a film formed from boron nitride, and said step of supplying electrons comprises the step of accelerating said electrons with an electron gun through a voltage potential of less than 30 kV.
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9. A method of dispersing a fluent material comprising the steps of:
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(a) passing a fluent material to be dispersed past a first side of an electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; (b) supplying electrons on a second, opposite side of said membrane so that the electrodes pass through the membrane and enter the fluent material so as to provide a net charge on the discharged fluent material, whereby the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, wherein said fluent material is a liquid, and wherein said step of passing comprises imparting a gaseous phase to said liquid before passing said liquid past said electron-permeable membrane. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method for dispersing a fluent material, comprising:
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(a) supplying said material; (b) injecting electrons into said material so that said material is dispersed at least partially because of the charge of said electrons; (c) discharging said fluent material into a device having an operating cycle; and (d) varying the quantity of said electrons injected into said material in synchronization with said operating cycle of said device to thereby vary the extent of said dispersion in synchronization with said operating cycle of said device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of dispersing a fluent material comprising the steps of:
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(a) passing a fluent material to be dispersed past a first side of an electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; (b) supplying electrons on a second, opposite side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through the membrane and enter the fluent material so as to provide a net charge on the discharged fluent material, whereby the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, the method further comprising the step of blocking the transmission of x-ray radiation from the vicinity of said electron-permeable membrane.
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15. Apparatus for dispersing a fluent material comprising:
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(a) an electron-permeable membrane having a first side and a second side; (b) fluent material discharge means for passing fluent material to be dispersed past said first side of said electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; and (c) electron supply means for providing free electrons at said second side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through said membrane and enter the fluent material to provide a net negative charge on the fluent material discharged by said fluent material discharge means and so that the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, said fluent material discharge means including a body defining a passageway having a narrow section forming a venturi, and means for forcing the fluent material to flow through said passageway so that the pressure of the fluent material is reduced below the pressure of the fluid in other regions of said passageway as the fluent material passes through said section and wherein said electron-permeable membrane is disposed adjacent said section so that electrons provided by said electron supply means enter the fluent material in said section while said fluent material is under reduced pressure. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. Apparatus for dispersing a fluent material comprising:
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(a) an electron-permeable membrane having a first side and a second side; (b) fluent material discharge means for passing fluent material to be dispersed past said first side of said electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; and (c) electron supply means for providing free electrons at said second side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through said membrane and enter the fluent material to provide a net negative charge on the fluent material discharged by said fluent material discharge means and so that the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, the apparatus further comprising shielding means for blocking transmission of radiation from the vicinity of said electron-permeable membrane. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. Apparatus for dispersing a fluent material comprising:
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(a) an electron-permeable membrane having a first side and a second side; (b) fluent material discharge means for passing fluent material to be dispersed past said first side of said electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; and (c) electron supply means for providing free electrons at said second side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through said membrane and enter the fluent material to provide a net negative charge on the fluent material discharged by said fluent material discharge means and so that the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, the apparatus further comprising an electrode disposed adjacent said first side of said electron-permeable membrane so that fluent material passed by said membrane by said discharge means will contact said electrode and means for maintaining said electrode at a relatively negative electrical potential for attracting positively charged particles from the fluent material. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. Apparatus for dispersing a fluent material comprising:
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(a) an electron-permeable membrane having a first side and a second side; (b) fluent material discharge means for passing fluent material to be dispersed past said first side of said electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; and (c) electron supply means for providing free electrons at said second side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through said membrane and enter the fluent material to provide a net negative charge on the fluent material discharged by said fluent material discharge means and so that the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, the apparatus further comprising means for varying with time the quantity of said electrons provided at said second side of said electron-permeable membrane. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of dispersing a fluent material comprising the steps of:
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(a) passing a fluent material to be dispersed past a first side of an electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; (b) supplying electrons on a second, opposite side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through the membrane and enter the fluent material so as to provide a net charge on the discharged fluent material, whereby the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, said discharging step including the step of passing said fluent material through a passageway having a narrow section forming a venturi so that pressure of the fluent material is reduced below the pressure of the fluent material in other regions of the passageway as the fluent material passes through said section, said electron-permeable membrane being disposed adjacent said section, and wherein said step of supplying electrons includes the step of directing an electron beam at said electron-permeable membrane so that said beam impinges upon said fluent material in said section while the fluent material is at reduced pressure.
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31. Apparatus for dispersing a fluent material comprising:
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(a) an electron-permeable membrane having a first side and a second side; (b) fluent material discharge means for passing fluent material to be dispersed past said first side of said electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; and (c) electron supply means for providing free electrons at said second side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through said membrane and enter the fluent material to provide a net negative charge on the fluent material discharged by said fluent material discharge means and so that the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, said electron-permeable membrane comprising a film consisting essentially of boron nitride, the thickness of said film being less than about 3 microns. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. Apparatus for dispersing a fluent material comprising:
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(a) an electron-permeable membrane having a first side and a second side; (b) fluent material discharge means for passing fluent material to be dispersed past said first side of said electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; and (c) electron supply means for providing free electrons at said second side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through said membrane and enter the fluent material to provide a net negative charge on the fluent material discharged by said fluent material discharge means and so that the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, wherein said fluent material is a liquid and said fluent material discharge means comprises means for imparting a gaseous phase to said liquid before said liquid passes said electron-permeable membrane. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. Apparatus for dispersing a fluent material, comprising:
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(a) means for supplying said material; (b) means for injecting electrons into said material so that the electrons enter the fluent material to provide a net negative charge on the fluent material and so that the fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of mutual repellence of said net charge; (c) a device for receiving said dispersed material, said device being constructed and arranged to operate cyclically; and (d) means for varying the quantity of said electrons injected into said material in synchronization with said cyclic operation to thereby vary the extent of said dispersion in synchronization with said cyclic operation of said receiving device. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of dispersing a fluent material comprising the steps of:
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(a) passing a fluent material to be dispersed past a first side of an electron-permeable membrane and discharging the fluent material; (b) supplying electrons on a second, opposite side of said membrane so that the electrons pass through the membrane and enter the fluent material so as to provide a net charge on the discharged fluent material, whereby the discharged fluent material is dispersed at least partially under the influence of said net charge, said step of discharging said fluent material being conducted so that the static pressure of said fluent material is subatmospheric as said fluent material passes said electron-permeable membrane. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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Specification