Method and apparatus for generating a mist
First Claim
1. An apparatus for generating a mist comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of interior walls, at least one of the plurality of interior walls defining a passageway along a longitudinal center axis, the passageway having a transport fluid inlet, a plenum adjacent to the transport fluid inlet, and a portion adjacent to the plenum, and an outlet, the at least one of the plurality of interior walls being continuously tapered outwardly with respect to the axis along the portion and the plenum adjacent to the transport fluid inlet being of different cross-sectional area than the transport fluid inlet at every point along a length of the plenum adjacent to the transport fluid inlet;
a protrusion with a solid interior located proximate the portion, the protrusion having an outer surface tapered outwardly with respect to the axis;
a means for generating a mist substantially of a desired droplet size from a working fluid with a transport fluid, the means including a transport nozzle and a working nozzle, the transport nozzle being defined between the at least one of the plurality of interior walls tapered outwardly with respect to the axis along the portion, and the outer surface tapered outwardly of the protrusion;
the working nozzle being defined by other of the plurality of interior walls of the housing, the working nozzle being coincident the transport nozzle so that the working fluid communicated to and exiting the working nozzle and the transport fluid exiting the transport nozzle contact for the first time and mix downstream of an outlet of each of the respective working nozzle and transport nozzle and within the housing;
wherein the working nozzle is defined by a working nozzle outer surface facing inward toward the axis and the working nozzle inner surface facing outward away from the axis;
wherein at least part of the working nozzle outer surface converges toward the axis at the outlet of the working nozzle in a direction along the axis toward the outlet; and
a working fluid inlet disposed along the housing in communication with the working nozzle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for generating a mist comprising a conduit having a mixing chamber and an exit; a transport nozzle in fluid communication with the said conduit, the transport nozzle being adapted to introduce a transport fluid into the mixing chamber; a working nozzle positioned adjacent the transport nozzle intermediate the transport nozzle and the exit, the working nozzle being adapted to introduce a working fluid into the mixing chamber; the transport and working nozzles having an angular orientation and internal geometry such that in use interaction of the transport fluid and working fluid in the mixing chamber causes the working fluid to atomize and form a dispersed vapor/droplet flow regime, which is discharged as a mist from the exit, the mist comprising working fluid droplets having a substantially uniform size.
132 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An apparatus for generating a mist comprising:
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a housing having a plurality of interior walls, at least one of the plurality of interior walls defining a passageway along a longitudinal center axis, the passageway having a transport fluid inlet, a plenum adjacent to the transport fluid inlet, and a portion adjacent to the plenum, and an outlet, the at least one of the plurality of interior walls being continuously tapered outwardly with respect to the axis along the portion and the plenum adjacent to the transport fluid inlet being of different cross-sectional area than the transport fluid inlet at every point along a length of the plenum adjacent to the transport fluid inlet; a protrusion with a solid interior located proximate the portion, the protrusion having an outer surface tapered outwardly with respect to the axis; a means for generating a mist substantially of a desired droplet size from a working fluid with a transport fluid, the means including a transport nozzle and a working nozzle, the transport nozzle being defined between the at least one of the plurality of interior walls tapered outwardly with respect to the axis along the portion, and the outer surface tapered outwardly of the protrusion;
the working nozzle being defined by other of the plurality of interior walls of the housing, the working nozzle being coincident the transport nozzle so that the working fluid communicated to and exiting the working nozzle and the transport fluid exiting the transport nozzle contact for the first time and mix downstream of an outlet of each of the respective working nozzle and transport nozzle and within the housing;
wherein the working nozzle is defined by a working nozzle outer surface facing inward toward the axis and the working nozzle inner surface facing outward away from the axis;
wherein at least part of the working nozzle outer surface converges toward the axis at the outlet of the working nozzle in a direction along the axis toward the outlet; anda working fluid inlet disposed along the housing in communication with the working nozzle. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An apparatus for generating a mist comprising:
- a housing disposed along an apparatus axis, and a means for suppressing combustion with a mist, the means including;
a first fluid passage formed in the housing having a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet;
the first fluid passage defining a working nozzle;
the first fluid passage comprising a first continuous-annular portion having a first outer surface facing inward toward the apparatus axis and a first inner surface facing outward away from the apparatus axis;
wherein at least part of the first outer surface converges toward the apparatus axis at the outlet of the working nozzle in a direction toward the first fluid outlet;
a second fluid passage formed in the housing having a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet;
a protrusion located in the second fluid passage to define an annular transport nozzle with a second inner surface facing outward away from the apparatus axis and a second outer surface facing inward toward the apparatus axis, that are both concentric with the apparatus axis and substantially frustoconical in shape, and wherein the second inner surface and the second outer surface both diverge away from the apparatus axis in the direction toward the second fluid outlet;
wherein the first fluid passage and second fluid passage are separate before the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet and the first fluid outlet is disposed along the apparatus axis downstream of the second fluid outlet, the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet are both continuous-annular and concentric with the apparatus axis. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- a housing disposed along an apparatus axis, and a means for suppressing combustion with a mist, the means including;
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20. An apparatus for generating a mist, the apparatus having an apparatus axis and an outlet end, the apparatus comprising:
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a first fluid passage having a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet;
the first fluid passage defining a first nozzle;
the first fluid outlet being continuous-annular and concentric with the apparatus axis, the first fluid passage comprising a first annular portion concentric with the apparatus axis, the first annular portion having a first outer surface facing inward toward the apparatus axis and a first inner surface facing outward away from the apparatus axis;
wherein at least part of the first outer surface converges toward the apparatus axis at the outlet of the first nozzle in a direction toward the outlet end;a second fluid passage having a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet;
the second fluid passage defining a second nozzle;
the second fluid outlet being continuous-annular and concentric with the apparatus axis, the second fluid passage comprising a second annular portion concentric with the apparatus axis, the second annular portion having a second outer surface facing inward toward the apparatus axis and a second inner surface facing outward away from the apparatus axis;
wherein at least part of the second outer surface diverges away from the apparatus axis in a direction toward the outlet end; and
wherein at least part of the second inner surface diverges away from the apparatus axis in a direction toward the outlet end; and
wherein the second fluid outlet is located between the first fluid outlet and the apparatus axis; and
the first fluid outlet is located between the outlet end of the apparatus and the second fluid outlet. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification