Heat exchange system for a cavitation chamber

Abstract

A method and apparatus for regulating the temperature of the cavitation medium for a cavitation chamber is provided. A heat exchange fluid is pumped through a heat exchange conduit that passes through a portion of the cavitation chamber. An external heat exchanger, coupled either directly or indirectly to the heat exchange conduit, regulates the temperature of the heat exchange fluid which, in turn, regulates the temperature of cavitation medium within the cavitation chamber. The heat exchanger can be used to lower the temperature of the cavitation medium to a temperature less than the ambient temperature; to withdraw excess heat from the cavitation medium; or to heat the cavitation medium to the desired operating temperature. The heat exchanger can utilize heated heat exchange fluid, cooled heat exchange fluid, thermoelectric coolers, heat sinks, refrigeration systems or heaters.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 961,353, filed Oct. 7, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 448,753, filed Nov. 24, 1999.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to sonoluminescence and, more particularly, to a heat exchange system for use with a sonoluminescence cavitation chamber. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Sonoluminescence is a well-known phenomena discovered in the 1930's in which light is generated when a liquid is cavitated. Although a variety of techniques for cavitating the liquid are known (e.g., spark discharge, laser pulse, flowing the liquid through a Venturi tube), one of the most common techniques is through the application of high intensity sound waves. [0004] In essence, the cavitation process consists of three stages; bubble formation, growth and subsequent collapse. The bubble or bubbles cavitated during thi...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Although it is generally recognized that during the collapse of a cavitating bubble extremely high temperature plasmas are developed, leading to the observed sonoluminescence effect, many aspects of the phenomena have not yet been characterized.

Although a variety of sonoluminescence systems have been designed, typically these systems allow limited control of the conditions applied to the liquid within the chamber.

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