Variable shock wave bio-oil extraction system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8988972-B1
Application number	US-201313736683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 8, 2013
Priority date	Jan 8, 2013
Publication date	Mar 24, 2015
Grant date	Mar 24, 2015

Abstract

A variable shock wave bio-oil extraction system and method utilizes shock waves to separate oil, water, and biomass from feedstock in a single step. In one embodiment, at least one pair of opposing transducer arrays are arranged in a shock wave extraction housing and collectively powered by a pulse controller to create controllable shearing planes and/or shearing regions and/or shock stem zones to interact upon a flow path of feedstock as the feedstock travels through the shock wave housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bio-oil extraction system which utilizes acoustic shock waves to separate oil, water, and biomass from feedstock, comprising:
a shock wave housing;
a first acoustic transducer array comprising a first plurality of acoustic transducers and a second acoustic transducer array comprising a second plurality of acoustic transducers mounted to said shock wave housing, said first plurality of acoustic transducers and said second plurality of acoustic transducers being oriented to produce a first plurality of acoustic waves and a second plurality of acoustic waves inwardly into said shock wave housing, whereby said first plurality of acoustic waves produced by said first plurality of acoustic transducers encounter said second plurality of acoustic waves produced by said second plurality of acoustic transducers within said shock wave housing;
a pulse controller operably connected to said first acoustic transducer array and said second acoustic transducer, said pulse controller being operable for varying a timing of production of said first plurality of acoustic waves and said second plurality of acoustic waves to vary positions within said shock wave housing at which said first plurality of acoustic waves encounter said second plurality of acoustic waves to thereby create selectable position shearing regions within said shock wave housing to separate said oil, said water, and said biomass from said feedstock.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said shock wave housing further defines a flow path to permit continuous flow through said shock wave housing with an inlet for receiving said feedstock into said shock wave housing and an outlet for passing said oil, said water, and said biomass out of said shock wave housing, said first plurality of acoustic transducers and said second plurality of acoustic transducers being mounted between said inlet and said outlet.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said pulse controller is operable to create said selectable position shearing regions along an entire cross-section of said flow path.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said pulse controller is operable to provide a variable firing rate for each of said first plurality of acoustic transducers and said second plurality of acoustic transducers of between 2 and 100 milliseconds.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein said first plurality of acoustic transducers and said second plurality of acoustic transducers comprise an axis, said axis being oriented perpendicular with respect to said flow path.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein said first plurality of acoustic transducers and said second plurality of acoustic transducers comprise an axis, said axis being oriented at an angle less than ninety degrees with respect to said flow path.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first acoustic transducer array and said second acoustic transducer array are positioned on substantially opposite sides with respect to each other on said shock wave housing.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said pulse controller is configured to selectively fire all of said first plurality of acoustic transducers of said first acoustic transducer array with a first timing and all of said second plurality of transducers of said second acoustic transducer array at a second timing.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein said pulse controller is configured to selectively fire individual ones of said first plurality of acoustic transducers of said first acoustic transducer array and individual ones of said second transducers of said second acoustic transducer array.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a third acoustic transducer array and a fourth acoustic transducer array mounted to said shock wave housing, said pulse controller being operably connected to said third acoustic transducer array and said fourth acoustic transducer.

11. A bio-oil extraction method which utilizes acoustic shock waves to separate oil, water, and biomass from feedstock, comprising:
providing a shock wave housing;
mounting a first acoustic transducer array comprising a first plurality of acoustic transducers and a second acoustic transducer array comprising a second plurality of acoustic transducers to said shock wave housing, said first plurality of acoustic transducers and said second plurality of acoustic transducers being oriented to produce a first plurality of acoustic waves and a second plurality of acoustic waves inwardly into said shock wave housing, whereby said first plurality of acoustic waves produced by said first plurality of acoustic transducers encounter said second plurality of acoustic waves produced by said second plurality of acoustic transducers within said shock wave housing;
operably connecting a pulse controller to said first acoustic transducer array and said second acoustic transducer array; and
utilizing said pulse controller for varying a timing of production of said first plurality of acoustic waves and said second plurality of acoustic waves to vary positions within said shock wave housing at which said first plurality of acoustic waves encounter said second plurality of acoustic waves to thereby create selectable position shearing regions within said shock wave housing to separate said oil, said water, and said biomass from said feedstock.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
defining a flow path through said shock wave housing, said flow path comprising an inlet for receiving said feedstock into said shock wave housing and an outlet for passing said oil, said water, and said biomass out of said shock wave housing; and
providing a continuous flow of feedstock through said shock wave housing via said flow path.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising utilizing said pulse controller to create said selectable position shearing regions along an entire cross-section of said flow path.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising utilizing said pulse controller to provide a variable firing rate for each of said first plurality of acoustic transducers and said second plurality of acoustic transducers of between 2 and 100 milliseconds.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein said step of mounting further comprises mounting said first plurality of acoustic transducers and said second plurality of acoustic transducers along an axis, said axis being oriented perpendicular with respect to said flow path.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein said step of mounting further comprises mounting said first plurality of acoustic transducers and said second plurality of acoustic transducers along an axis, said axis being oriented at an angle less than ninety degrees with respect to said flow path.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising positioning said first acoustic transducer array and said second acoustic transducer array on substantially opposite sides with respect to each other on said shock wave housing.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising utilizing said pulse controller to selectively fire all of said first plurality of acoustic transducers of said first acoustic transducer array with a first timing and all of said second transducers of said second acoustic transducer array at a second timing.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising utilizing said pulse controller to selectively fire individual ones of said first plurality of acoustic transducers of said first acoustic transducer array at a first timing and individual ones of said second transducers of said second acoustic transducer array at a second timing.

Assignees

• Woodall Robert
• Naud Steven F
• Garcia Felipe A
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Woodall Robert
• Naud Steven F
• Garcia Felipe A

Classifications

• C11B1/10 Primary

  by extracting · CPC title

• G10K11/34 Primary

  using electrical steering of transducer arrays, e.g. beam steering {(constructional aspects B06B1/0607, B06B1/085)} · CPC title

• G01S1/72

  using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• G10K15/043

  producing shock waves (G10K15/046, G10K15/06 take precedence; generating seismic energy G01V1/02) · CPC title