Ultrasonic debubbling method and apparatus therefor

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 characterised in that the high-energy ultrasonic waves have an intensity sufficient to produce cavitation, and the low-energy ultrasonic waves have an intensity insufficient to produce any cavitation.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 2, characterised in that said high-energy ultrasonic waves have an intensity of not lower than 0.35 W/cm 2 and said low-energy ultrasonic waves have an intensity of not higher than 0.35 W/cm 2 under normal conditions.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3 characterised in that said liquid is introduced from said inlet means into said debubbling chamber in a direction tangential to said debubbling chamber.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 characterised in that an ultrasonic wave transmitting medium is supplied and used to transmit said ultrasonic waves.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 5 characterised in that the ultrasonic wave transmitting medium is hot-water.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that said ultrasonic wave transmitting medium is common to both the types of ultrasonic waves.

Claim 9

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus including a debubbling chamber (5), an introducing pipe (7) for introducing a liquid to be debubbled into said debubbling chamber (5), a primary ultrasonic transducer (8) for irradiating the liquid in the introducing pipe (7) and a secondary ultrasonic transducer (9) for irradiating the liquid in the debubbling chamber (5) wherein the primary and secondary ultrasonic transducers respectively irradiate the liquid with high energy and low energy ultrasonic waves.

Claim 10

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus including a debubbling chamber (5), an introducing pipe (7) for introducing a liquid to be debubbled into said debubbling chamber (5), a primary ultrasonic transducer (8) for irradiating the liquid in the introducing pipe (7) and a secondary ultrasonic transducer (9) for irradiating the liquid in the debubbling chamber (5) wherein the primary and secondary ultrasonic transducers respectively irradiate the liquid with high energy and low energy ultrasonic waves.

Claim 11

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that said primary and secondary ultrasonic transducers (8, 9) are located under said introducing pipe (7) and said debubbling chamber (5), respectively.

Claim 12

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus according to claim 8 or 9 characterised in that the lower part of the debubbling chamber (5) is in the form of a circular cone (4) widening upwards.

Claim 13

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus according to claim 10, characterised in that the height of the circular cone of the debubbling chamber is greater than its maximum diameter.

Claim 14

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 11 characterised in that said introducing pipe (7) is connected to said debubbling chamber (5) along a tangent line thereto.

Claim 15

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 12 characterised by a medium chamber (1) containing a heat and ultrasonic wave transmitting medium, said debubbling chamber (5) and a predetermined length of said introducing pipe (7) being located in said medium chamber (1).

Claim 16

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 13 characterised in that said primary and secondary ultrasonic transducers (8, 9) are of water-proof type having a piezoelectric crystal.

Claim 17

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 14 characterised in that said primary and secondary ultrasonic trans- dcuers (8, 9) are respectively separated from said introducing pipe (7) and said debubbling chamber (5) by more than 150 mm.

Claim 18

An ultrasonic debubbling apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 15 characterised by a float (11) for detecting the liquid level in the debubbling chamber (5) and an air relief valve (13) for releasing air from said debubbling chamber (5), so that said liquid level may be kept constant by coupling said float and said air-relief valve.