Apparatus and method for providing asymmetric oscillations

• US 10,058,833 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew E. Bloch
• Original Assignee: Andrew E. Bloch
• Inventors: Bloch, Andrew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Abbas
• Application Number:
  US14/177,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/224 Agitators or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/13 Mixing of ice-cream ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/2202 Mixing compositions or mixers in the medical or veterinary field
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/2204 Mixing chemical components in generals in order to improve chemical treatment or reactions, independently from the specific application
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/23 Mixing of laboratory samples e.g. in preparation of analysing or testing properties of materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/24 Mixing of ingredients for cleaning compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/4111 using vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/265 the vibrations being caused by an unbalanced rotating member
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/28 the vibrations being caused by piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/70 Drives therefor, e.g. crank mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/87 transmitting the vibratory energy by means of a fluid, e.g. by means of air shock waves
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/211 of the operational parameters B01F35/212 and B01F35/213 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/212 of the driving system data, e.g. torque, speed or power data
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/221 of operational parameters, e.g. level of material in the mixer, temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/422 having a jaw-type or finger-type shape
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/008 Processes for carrying out reactions under cavitation conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/285 Shaking or vibrating reactors; reactions under the influence of low-frequency vibrations or pulsations for sonic and ultrasonic vibrations B01J19/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00796 Details of the reactor or of the particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00823 Mixing elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00189 : controlling the stirring velocity
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/40 : with fluidised bed subjected to vibrations or pulsations
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 7/022 : Vibration control arrangements, e.g. for generating random vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/10 : Investigating individual particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1027 : Determining speed or velocity of a particle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/14 : using acoustic emission techniques echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 : Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4292 : Aspects relating to capacity ratio of electrodes/electrolyte or anode/cathode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for providing asymmetric oscillations to a container. The container may include a fluid, a particle, and/or a gas. A vibration driver attached to the container provides asymmetric oscillations. A controller connected to the vibration driver controls an amplitude, frequency, and shape of the asymmetric oscillations. An amplifier amplifies the asymmetric oscillations in response to the controller. A sensor disposed on the vibration driver provides feedback to the controller.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing asymmetric oscillations, the apparatus comprising:

a container;

a fluid and a particle disposed in the container;

a vibration driver attached to the container, wherein the vibration driver oscillates the container;

a plurality of sensors disposed on the vibration driver, wherein each sensor detects and measures a different type of effect of the oscillation on the particle; and

a microcontroller connected to the vibration driver and the sensors, wherein the microcontroller;

receives a feedback signal from at least one of the sensors regarding a measurement of the detected effect of the oscillation on the particle,

analyzes the feedback signal to determine a type of adjustment and how much to adjust the oscillation to achieve a desired effect on the particle, the determination based on the measurement and type of the effect detected by the at least one sensor, and

outputs a second signal to adjust an asymmetric characteristic of the oscillation created by the vibration driver in accordance with the determined type and amount of adjustment based on the analysis of the feedback signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration driver is capable of exerting a force on the particle in a direction opposite to the force applied by gravity on the particle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration driver supplies oscillations as the sum of two or more waveforms.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the vibration driver creates asymmetry by varying relative phases, amplitudes, frequencies, waveforms, axes, or acceleration of the oscillation.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fundamental frequency of a second of the two or more waveforms is twice the fundamental frequency of a first waveform of the two or more waveforms.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, where the vibration driver supplies oscillations as the sum of two sinusoids of different frequencies.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration driver includes a spring mechanism with a higher spring constant at a bottom portion of a motion than a top portion of the motion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration driver vibrates according to a signal from two piezoelectric oscillators.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

a first of the two piezoelectric oscillators is at a first frequency and a first amplitude; and

a second of the two piezoelectric oscillators is at a second frequency which is twice the first frequency and at a second amplitude which is half the first amplitude.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller analyzes the feedback signal via a Fourier analysis.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is selected from the group consisting of an acoustical sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a physical sensor, a chemical sensor, a camera, an optical sensor configured to detect the particle disposed in the container, and an electrically charged probe inside the container.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration driver is selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric transducer, an audio speaker driver, a linear motor, and a rotary motor connected to a mechanism for converting circular motion to linear motion.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a power amplifier coupled with the microcontroller amplifies the oscillations created by the vibration driver.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the container is sealable.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the container further comprises a vent to release pressure within the container.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determined adjustment includes adjusting the pressure within the container.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the container further comprises a heating element for heating the fluid.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particle is a bubble, and wherein the detected effects include a changed characteristic of the bubble.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determined type of adjustment comprises one or more predefined adjustment patterns.