Self-Contained Fluid Cleaning With Sonic Cavitation and Solids Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating fluid streams with contaminants or solids are costly, time-consuming, and marginally effective, particularly in processes like waste water treatment and seawater desalination, due to the continuous use of chemical additives and thermal/membrane filters.
Innovation Solution
A system using sonic energy to dissociate and separate contaminants in fluid streams through a solids dissociation apparatus with a transducer creating cavitation and a solids separation apparatus with standing sonic waves to recover solids concentrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemical additives are continuously applied to disintegrate contaminants in waste water streams, then the treatment process can neutralize specific contaminants, but the process becomes costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical treatment methods with a mechanical/physical system using ultrasonic transducers to generate cavitation bubbles that mechanically disintegrate contaminants. This substitution eliminates the need for continuous chemical additive application while maintaining effective contaminant removal, thereby reducing treatment time and operational costs
Solution Approach 2:
The ultrasonic transducer operates in periodic cycles, generating cavitation bubbles that form and collapse repeatedly to fragment contaminants. This periodic mechanical action achieves thorough contaminant disintegration without requiring continuous chemical input, improving both efficiency and cost-effectiveness
2Reliability
If thermal processes and multiple-stage membrane filters are used to separate contaminants from fluid streams, then separation can be achieved, but the systems become costly and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex thermal and membrane filtration systems with ultrasonic cavitation technology. The cavitation process mechanically fragments contaminants into smaller particles that can be more easily separated, eliminating the need for multiple filtration stages and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining separation effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The ultrasonic cavitation process segments large contaminant particles into smaller fragments through repeated bubble collapse impacts. This segmentation occurs in a single stage rather than requiring multiple filtration stages, simplifying the overall separation system while improving separation effectiveness
3Reliability
If standard membrane filters and reverse osmosis systems are deployed for desalination and solids removal, then contaminants can be separated, but the processes become costly and marginally effective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive membrane filtration and reverse osmosis systems with ultrasonic cavitation technology. The mechanical fragmentation action of cavitation breaks down contaminants and suspended solids into finer particles that separate more efficiently, improving processing speed and productivity while reducing operational costs
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic generation of cavitation bubbles creates repeated mechanical冲击 forces that efficiently fragment and separate contaminants from the fluid stream. This periodic action achieves faster separation rates compared to continuous membrane filtration, thereby improving overall processing efficiency and productivity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system efficiently eviscerates and separates contaminants, reducing costs and time by using sonic energy to break down and isolate contaminants, enhancing the effectiveness of fluid treatment processes.
Implementation Method 1
a transducer operably engaged with the housing and disposed about the at least one insert at a distance away from said at least one insert inside of the housing, wherein the transducer is configured to create cavitation inside of the housing, via sonic waves, to eviscerate contaminants in the continuous fluid stream flowing through the at least one insert
Implementation Method 2
the transducer is configured to create cavitation inside of the housing, via sonic waves
Data Source
AI summary
A method of separating contaminants from at least one continuous fluid stream. The method includes steps that are performed inside of a solids dissociation apparatus (SDA) and inside of a solids separation apparatus (SSA) for separating contaminants from at least one continuous fluid stream. The method includes steps of eviscerating the contaminants in the at least one continuous fluid stream inside of SDA upon pumping the at least one continuous fluid stream in SDA, generating a traveling sonic wave in SDA, and cavitating the at least one continuous fluid stream in SDA. The method also includes steps of removing the eviscerated contaminants of a first configuration from the at least one continuous fluid stream by SSA upon generating a standing sonic wave in SSA and forcing the eviscerated contaminants into at least one set of ports of at least one removal stage of a tower of SSA.