Systems and methods for separating surface materials from a fluid using acoustic pressure shock waves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11254589-B2
Application number	US-201916504583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2019
Priority date	Aug 7, 2015
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A method of separating material, such as foam, sludge, oil or grease, at a fluid's surface, by applying acoustic pressure shock waves to the material and the fluid's surface such that acoustic pressure shock waves are propagated in liquid medium of the fluid and in gas medium above the fluid surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of separating material floating on a fluid's surface from the fluid comprising:
applying acoustic pressure shock waves to the material and the fluid's surface such that acoustic pressure shock waves are propagated in liquid medium of the fluid and in gas medium above the fluid's surface; and
collecting the material pushed by the acoustic pressure shock waves.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material includes a contaminant selected from the group consisting of foam, foamy sludge, oil and grease.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the liquid medium includes water.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the gas medium includes air.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the acoustic pressure shock waves are applied horizontally and along the fluid's surface from electrodes enclosed in a membrane.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic pressure shock waves are applied horizontally and along the fluid's surface from electrodes enclosed in a membrane.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising focusing the acoustic pressure shock waves along the fluid's surface with a reflector adjacent the electrodes.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising focusing the acoustic pressure shock waves along the fluid's surface with a reflector adjacent the electrodes.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising collecting water cleaned of the material.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising collecting water cleaned of the material.

11. The method of claim 3 , further comprising collecting water cleaned of the material.

12. A method of separating material floating on a fluid's surface from the fluid comprising applying acoustic pressure shock waves to the material and the fluid's surface sufficient to create a velocity differential above and below the fluid's surface that generates shear forces which push the material along and away from the fluid's surface.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the material includes a contaminant selected from the group consisting of foam, foamy sludge, oil and grease.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fluid includes water.

15. A system for separating material floating on a fluid's surface from the fluid comprising:
an acoustic pressure shock wave generator;
a membrane enclosing electrodes and an acoustic pressure shock wave reflector adjacent the electrodes, wherein the electrodes are operatively coupled to the shock wave generator; and
a fluid containment containing liquid medium having with material floating on the fluid surface, wherein the containment includes a material outlet and the acoustic pressure shock wave reflector is supported adjacent the fluid surface and oriented to focus acoustic pressure shock waves horizontally across the fluid surface and push the material floating on the fluid's surface to the material outlet.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the fluid surface is an interface between the liquid medium and a gas medium above the liquid medium and the acoustic pressure shock wave reflector is oriented to focus acoustic pressure shock waves into both the liquid medium and the gas medium.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the material includes at least one contaminant selected from the group consisting of foam, sludge, oil and grease and the material outlet is positioned near the fluid surface and adjacent a reservoir positioned to collect the material.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the containment includes liquid medium outlet positioned below the material outlet.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the containment includes a contaminated fluid inlet and a liquid medium outlet positioned below the material outlet.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the containment includes a contaminated fluid inlet and a liquid medium outlet positioned below the material outlet.

Assignees

• Sanuwave Inc

Inventors

• Cioanta Iulian
• Jackson John

Classifications

• Y02W10/10

  Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage · CPC title

• Y02A20/131

  Reverse-osmosis · CPC title

• B01D2313/205

  characterised by the shape · CPC title

• C02F2201/008

  Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle · CPC title

• B01D21/283

  Settling tanks provided with vibrators · CPC title