Method and apparatus for dry vapor generation

Claim 1

An apparatus for generating dry vapor, comprising: a manifold assembly (10) with a channel for conveying a liquid from a liquid source; a vessel (12) for holding the liquid, the vessel (12) being secured to the manifold assembly (10) and having a fill tube (152) connected to the manifold assembly's channel for receiving liquid from the channel, a heater (150) for heating the liquid in the vessel to generate a vapor; a settling chamber (14) for settling out liquid drops in the vapor; wherein the manifold assembly (10) comprises a first block (20) and a second block (38), each block having an inlet port, an outlet port, a channel connecting the ports, and a mating surface for mating with the mating surface of the other block; and wherein the first block (20) and the second block (38) are in mating engagement at their mating surfaces such that the first block's outlet port is aligned with the second block's inlet port; and wherein the second block's outlet port is connected to the vessel's fill tube (152).

Claim 4

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid comprises a base liquid.

Claim 6

The apparatus any of claims 1-5, wherein each block is a parallelepiped with perpendicular walls.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claims 5 to 7, wherein the first block (20) further includes: a second outlet port connected to the first block's channel; and a three way valve (32) in the first block's channel, the valve having an inlet for receiving liquid from the first block's inlet port (22), a first outlet for transmitting liquid to the first block's first outlet port (26), and a second outlet for transmitting liquid to the first block's second outlet port (28).

Claim 9

The apparatus of claims 5 to 8, wherein: the first block's inlet port is adapted for engagement with the liquid source; the manifold assembly further includes a third block (64) having an inlet port (66) adapted for engagement with a gas source, an outlet port (70), a channel (72) connecting the ports, and a mating surface; and the second block (38) includes a second inlet port (78) connected to its channel and a second mating surface in mating engagement with the third block's mating surface such that the third block's outlet port (70) is aligned with the second block's second inlet port (78), and the second block's channel provides the liquid and the gas to the second block's outlet port.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claims 5 to 10, wherein: the second block further includes a third mating surface; and the manifold assembly further includes a fourth block (86) positioned between the second block (38) and the vessel (12) and having an inlet port (88), an outlet port (90) connected to the vessel's fill tube (152), a channel (92) connecting the ports, and a mating surface in mating engagement with the second block's third mating surface such that the second block's outlet port is aligned with the fourth block's inlet port.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claims 5 to 11, wherein: the vessel (12) further includes a drain for removing the liquid from the vessel; and the third block includes a second inlet port aligned with the vessel's drain, a second outlet port, and a second channel connecting the second ports.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claims 5 to 12, wherein the second block further includes: a pressure reducer (48) connected between the second block's channel (52) and the second block's first inlet port (40), the pressure reducer (48) acting to maintain a substantially steady pressure of the liquid flowing through the second block's channel by reducing the pressure of the liquid received through the second block's first inlet port.

Claim 16

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the vessel (12) and the settling chamber (14) are made from quartz.

Claim 17

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the diameter of the vessel (12) is sized to generate vapor at a rate of about one liter of vapor per minute.

Claim 18

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the diameter of the vessel (12) is about 5.08 cm (about 2 inches).

Claim 19

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the vessel (12) further includes a drain for removing the liquid from the vessel.

Claim 20

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the vessel (12) further includes a thermo-well tube (154) for use with a temperature sensor (156) to determine the temperature of the liquid in the vessel.

Claim 21

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the vessel (12) further includes boiling chips (170).

Claim 23

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the settling chamber includes: a sloped bottom wall (180); a top wall; and the vapor inlet (178) is an opening located at the lower end of the bottom wall, and the vapor outlet is located in the top wall above the upper end of the bottom wall.

Claim 24

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the wall of the vessel further includes: at least two viewing ports (166); and at least one Sensor assembly (168) including one emitter and one receiver, located outside of the vessel (12), for sensing the level of the liquid in the vessel through the at least two viewing ports (166).

Claim 25

The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a second settling chamber (8) located within the vessel (12) above the first settling chamber for settling out liquid drops in the vapor, the second settling chamber having a second vapor inlet (182) for receiving vapor from the first settling chamber's vapor outlet, and having a second vapor outlet for removing dry vapor from the second settling chamber.

Claim 27

A method for providing dry vapor, comprising: conveying a liquid from a liquid source by means of a manifold assembly (10) with a channel to a vessel for holding the liquid; wherein said vessel is secured to the manifold assembly (10) and has a fill tube (152) connected to the manifold assembly's channel for receiving liquid from the channel, wherein the manifold assembly (10) comprises a first block (20) and a second block (38), each block having an inlet port, an outlet port, a channel connecting the ports, and a mating surface for mating with the mating surface of the other block; and wherein the first block (20) and the second block (38) are in mating engagement at their mating surfaces such that the first block's outlet port is aligned with the second block's inlet port; and wherein the second block's outlet port is connected to the vessel's fill tube (152). heating the liquid in the vessel to generate a vapor; transporting the vapor to a settling chamber; decreasing the speed of the vapor in the settling chamber, thereby allowing liquid drops to settle out of the vapor; returning the liquid drops to the bottom of the vessel; and transporting the dry vapor out of the settling chamber.

Claim 30

The method of claims 27 to 29, wherein the liquid comprises a base liquid.

Claim 32

The method of claims 27 to 31, further comprising: transporting the vapor from the settling chamber to a second settling chamber; decreasing the speed of the vapor in the second settling chamber, thereby allowing additional liquid drops to settle out of the vapor; returning the additional liquid drops to the bottom of the vessel; and transporting the dry vapor out of the second settling chamber.