Loop-shaped ultrasound generator and use in reaction systems

• US 7,275,440 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SulphCo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SulphCo, Inc.
• Inventors: Gunnerman, Rudolf W., Richman, Charles I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US10/994,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 736/43, 736/49, 156/580.1, 156/580.2, 318/118, 318/114, 318126-128, 310/26, 310/316
• US Class Current: 73/643
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/10 employing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/36 ultrasonic vibrations

Abstract

Ultrasound for use in chemical reactions is generated by an electromagnet formed from an ultrasound transducer whose central feature is a loop of magnetostrictive material wound with coils oriented to produce an oscillating magnetostrictive force when an oscillating voltage is applied. The oscillations in the transducer loop are transmitted to an ultrasonic horn that is immersed in a reaction medium where the ultrasonic vibrations are transmitted directly to the reaction mixture.

Claims

1. Apparatus for generating ultrasonic vibration, said apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic horn,

a loop-shaped ultrasonic transducer of magnetostrictive material operatively joined to said ultrasonic horn to generate mechanical vibrations and to transmit vibrations so generated to said ultrasonic horn, said ultrasonic transducer comprised of a plurality of plates of magnetostrictive material alternating with layers of dielectric material and wound with drive coils arranged to produce magnetostrictive forces in said ultrasonic transducer in response to voltages applied across said drive coils, and

a power source for imposing a periodically varying voltage across said drive coils.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic transducer is greater in length than in width and comprises two parallel lengthwise sections joined at both ends.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said lengthwise sections are separated by a gap of from about 0.5 cm to about 5 cm.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said lengthwise sections are separated by a gap of from about 1 cm to about 3 cm.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said drive coils comprise a first drive coil wound around one lengthwise section and a second drive coil wound around the other lengthwise section, said first and second drive coils being coiled in opposite directions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic transducer is comprised of from 50 to 1,000 plates of magnetostrictive material alternating with layers of dielectric resin, each plate ranging in thickness from about 4 microns to about 400 microns.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each said plate is from about 5 cm to about 50 cm in length.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each said plate is from about 9 cm to about 30 cm in length.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic transducer comprises from 100 to 400 plates of magnetostrictive material alternating with layers of dielectric resin, each plate ranging in thickness from about 50 microns to about 250 microns.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic transducer is joined to said ultrasonic horn by brazing with a silver brazing alloy.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said periodically varying voltage is a pulsewise voltage at a frequency of from about 10 to about 30 kilohertz.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said periodically varying voltage is a pulsewise voltage at a frequency of from about 10 to about 30 kilohertz and a wattage of from about 12 to about 20 kilowatts.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sensing magnet of magnetostrictive material wound with a sensing coil, said sensing magnet arranged such that vibrations in said ultrasonic transducer are transmitted to said sensing magnet and generate an oscillating voltage in said sensing coil.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said sensing magnet is loop-shaped and both said ultrasonic transducer and said sensing magnet are elongated with parallel lengthwise sections, the lengthwise sections of said sensing magnet being approximately equal in length to the lengthwise sections of said ultrasonic transducer.

15. A flow-through reactor for the continuous treatment of a liquid material with ultrasound, said flow-through reactor comprising:

a reaction vessel with entry and exit ports,

an ultrasonic horn mounted to said reaction vessel and extending into the interior thereof,

a loop-shaped ultrasonic transducer of magnetostrictive material operatively joined to said ultrasonic horn to generate mechanical vibrations and to transmit vibrations so generated to said ultrasonic horn, said ultrasonic transducer comprised of a plurality of plates of magnetostrictive material alternating with layers of dielectric material and wound with drive coils arranged to produce magnetostrictive forces in said ultrasonic transducer in response to voltages applied across said drive coils, and

a power source for imposing a periodically varying voltage across said drive coils.

16. The flow-through reactor of claim 15 wherein said ultrasonic transducer is greater in length than in width and comprises two parallel lengthwise sections joined at both ends.

17. The flow-through reactor of claim 16 wherein said lengthwise sections are separated by a gap of from about 0.5 cm to about 5 cm.

18. The flow-through reactor of claim 16 wherein said lengthwise sections are separated by a gap of from about 1 cm to about 3 cm.

19. The flow-through reactor of claim 16 wherein said drive coils comprise a first drive coil wound around one lengthwise section and a second drive coil wound around the other lengthwise section, said first and second drive coils being coiled in opposite directions.

20. The flow-through reactor of claim 15 wherein said ultrasonic transducer is comprised of from 50 to 1,000 plates of magnetostrictive material alternating with layers of dielectric resin, each plate ranging in thickness from about 4 microns to about 400 microns.

21. The flow-through reactor of claim 20 wherein each said plate is from about 5 cm to about 50 cm in length.

22. The flow-through reactor of claim 20 wherein each said plate is from about 9 cm to about 30 cm in length.

23. The flow-through reactor of claim 15 wherein said ultrasonic transducer comprises from 100 to 400 plates of magnetostrictive material alternating with layers of dielectric resin, each plate ranging in thickness from about 50 microns to about 250 microns.

24. The flow-through reactor of claim 15 wherein said ultrasonic transducer is joined to said ultrasonic horn by brazing with a silver brazing alloy.

25. The flow-through reactor of claim 15 wherein said periodically varying voltage is a pulsewise voltage at a frequency of from about 10 to about 30 kilohertz.

26. The flow-through reactor of claim 15 wherein said periodically varying voltage is a pulsewise voltage at a frequency of from about 10 to about 30 kilohertz and a wattage of from about 12 to about 20 kilowatts.

27. The flow-through reactor of claim 15 further comprising a sensing magnet of magnetostrictive material wound with a sensing coil, said sensing magnet arranged such that vibrations in said ultrasonic transducer are transmitted to said sensing magnet and generate an oscillating voltage in said sensing coil.

28. The flow-through reactor of claim 27 wherein said sensing magnet is poop-shaped and both said ultrasonic transducer and said sensing magnet are elongated with parallel lengthwise sections, the lengthwise sections of said sensing magnet being approximately equal in length to the lengthwise sections of said ultrasonic transducer.

29. A method for performing a chemical reaction enhanced by ultrasound, said method comprising:

passing material to be reacted, in liquid form, through an ultrasound chamber in which said material is exposed to ultrasound generated by an ultrasonic transducer comprising a loop-shaped ultrasonic horn of magnetostrictive material operatively joined to said ultrasonic horn to generate mechanical vibrations and to transmit vibrations so generated to said ultrasonic horn, said ultrasonic transducer comprised of a plurality of plates of magnetostrictive material alternating with layers of dielectric material and wound with drive coils arranged to produce magnetostrictive forces in said ultrasonic transducer in response to voltages applied across said drive coils, while

imposing a periodically varying voltage across said drive coils.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said ultrasonic transducer is greater in length than in width and comprises two parallel lengthwise sections joined at both ends.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said lengthwise sections are separated by a gap of from about 0.5 cm to about 5 cm.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said lengthwise sections are separated by a gap of from about 1 cm to about 3 cm.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein said drive coils comprise a first drive coil wound around one lengthwise section and a second drive coil wound around the other lengthwise section, said first and second drive coils being coiled in opposite directions.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein said ultrasonic transducer is comprised of from 50 to 1,000 plates of magnetostrictive material alternating with layers of dielectric resin, each plate ranging in thickness from about 4 microns to about 400 microns.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein each said plate is from about 5 cm to about 50 cm in length.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein each said plate is from about 9 cm to about 30 cm in length.

37. The method of claim 29 wherein said ultrasonic transducer comprises from 100 to 400 plates of magnetostrictive material alternating with layers of dielectric resin, each plate ranging in thickness from about 50 microns to about 250 microns.

38. The method of claim 29 comprising periodically varying said voltage in pulsewise manner at a frequency of from about 10 to about 30 kilohertz.

39. The method of claim 29 comprising periodically varying said voltage in pulsewise manner at a frequency of from about 10 to about 30 kilohertz and a wattage of from about 12 to about 20 kilowatts.

40. The method of claim 29 further comprising sensing vibrations in said ultrasonic transducer with a sensing magnet of magnetostrictive material wound with a sensing coil, thereby generating an oscillating voltage in said sensing coil, and transmitting said oscillating voltage to a controller.