Material suspension within an acoustically excited resonant chamber

Claim 1

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a chamber of substantially square cross-section and of at least twice the object volume and that contains a fluid; and applying acoustic energy to the fluid from at least two orthogonal directions to establish standing wave patterns in the chamber along said orthogonal directions, so that the object tends to position itself at the intersection of pressure nodes of the wave patterns, the frequency along either of said orthogonal directions being no more than four times the fundamental resonant frequency whose half wavelength equals the chamber dimension along said direction; said acoustic energy being applied in first and second modes which are of approximately the same frequency but in substantially perpendicular directions, the first and second modes being varied in relative phase to produce torques upon the object at the node.

Claim 2

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a chamber of substantially square cross-section and of at least twice the object volume and that contains a fluid; and applying acoustic energy to the fluid from at least two orthogonal directions to establish standing wave patterns in the chamber along said orthogonal directions, so that the object tends to position itself at the intersection of pressure nodes of the wave patterns, the frequency along either of said orthogonal directions being no more than four times the fundamental resonant frequency whose half wavelength equals the chamber dimension along said direction; said acoustic energy being applied in first and second modes which are of approximately the same frequency but in substantially perpendicular directions, the first and second modes being varied in relative phase to produce torques upon the object at the node.

Claim 3

A method for positioning a mass comprising: establishing the mass in a chamber having a first pair of spaced substantially parallel and substantially flat walls; applying acoustic energy perpendicular to the first pair of walls at a frequency having a wavelength twice the separation distance of the walls to produce a standing wave pattern with a node location of minimum pressure spaced halfway between said pair of walls.

Claim 4

A method for positioning a mass comprising: establishing the mass in a chamber having a first pair of spaced substantially parallel and substantially flat walls; applying acoustic energy perpendicular to the first pair of walls at a frequency having a wavelength twice the separation distance of the walls to produce a standing wave pattern with a node location of minimum pressure spaced halfway between said pair of walls.

Claim 5

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a spherical chamber that contains a fluid; and establishing vibrations in the fluid in at least two orthogonal directions at a wavelength equal to twice the diameter of the sphere, to establish a node of minimum pressure at the center of the sphere.

Claim 6

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a spherical chamber that contains a fluid; and establishing vibrations in the fluid in at least two orthogonal directions at a wavelength equal to twice the diameter of the sphere, to establish a node of minimum pressure at the center of the sphere.

Claim 12

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a chamber that contains a fluid and that has at least one moveable wall to permit varying of a chamber dimension; applying acoustic energy to the fluid from at least two orthogonal directions at frequencies that establish standing wave patterns in the chamber along said orthogonal directions, so that the object tends to position itself at the intersection of pressure nodes of the wave pattern; and moving said moveable wall and varying the frequency of acoustic energy to maintain a standing wave pattern between the moveable wall and its opposite wall, as the chamber dimension varies.

Claim 13

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a chamber that contains a fluid and that has at least one moveable wall to permit varying of a chamber dimension; applying acoustic energy to the fluid from at least two orthogonal directions at frequencies that establish standing wave patterns in the chamber along said orthogonal directions, so that the object tends to position itself at the intersection of pressure nodes of the wave pattern; and moving said moveable wall and varying the frequency of acoustic energy to maintain a standing wave pattern between the moveable wall and its opposite wall, as the chamber dimension varies.

Claim 14

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a fluid state in a spherical chamber that contains a fluid; and applying acoustic energy to the fluid at an even integral multiple of a frequency whose wavelength equals the diameter of the sphere, to establish standing wave patterns in the chamber with a maximum pressure point at the center of the sphere and a node of minimum pressure spaced about the center, so that the fluid object forms a hollow sphere.

Claim 15

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a fluid state in a spherical chamber that contains a fluid; and applying acoustic energy to the fluid at an even integral multiple of a frequency whose wavelength equals the diameter of the sphere, to establish standing wave patterns in the chamber with a maximum pressure point at the center of the sphere and a node of minimum pressure spaced about the center, so that the fluid object forms a hollow sphere.

Claim 16

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a chamber of substantially rectangular cross-section that contains a fluid, with a first pair of walls of the chamber extending substantially parallel to each other and perpendicular to a second set of walls, and with the separation of the first walls different than the separation of the second walls; and applying acoustic energy to the fluid in a first mode which is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first pair of walls and at a frequency that is resonant to the separation distance of the first pair of walls, and in a second mode which is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second pair of walls at a frequency that is resonant to the separation distance of the second walls.

Claim 17

A method for positioning an object comprising: establishing the object in a chamber of substantially rectangular cross-section that contains a fluid, with a first pair of walls of the chamber extending substantially parallel to each other and perpendicular to a second set of walls, and with the separation of the first walls different than the separation of the second walls; and applying acoustic energy to the fluid in a first mode which is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first pair of walls and at a frequency that is resonant to the separation distance of the first pair of walls, and in a second mode which is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second pair of walls at a frequency that is resonant to the separation distance of the second walls.

Claim 18

A method for positioning a mass comprising: establishing the mass in a chamber having a first pair of spaced substantially parallel and substantially flat walls and having a second pair of spaced substantially parallel walls extending substantially perpendicular to the first walls, as seen in an imaginary cross-sectional view of the chamber; maintaining the chamber under substantially zero gravity; applying acoustic energy perpendicular to the first pair of walls at a frequency that produces a standing wave pattern with at least one node location of minimum pressure spaced from each wall of the first pair of walLs; applying acoustic energy perpendicular to the second pair of walls at a frequency that produces a second standing wave pattern with at least one node location of minimum pressure spaced from each wall of the second pair of walls; establishing the mass in a liquid state; and maintaining an acoustic pressure gradient, in a direction normal to the plane of said cross-sectional view at an intensity less than the pressure gradient near the nodes of said first named and second standing wave patterns, whereby to form an elongated narrow liquid mass.

Claim 19

A method for positioning a mass comprising: establishing the mass in a chamber having a first pair of spaced substantially parallel and substantially flat walls and having a second pair of spaced substantially parallel walls extending substantially perpendicular to the first walls, as seen in an imaginary cross-sectional view of the chamber; maintaining the chamber under substantially zero gravity; applying acoustic energy perpendicular to the first pair of walls at a frequency that produces a standing wave pattern with at least one node location of minimum pressure spaced from each wall of the first pair of walLs; applying acoustic energy perpendicular to the second pair of walls at a frequency that produces a second standing wave pattern with at least one node location of minimum pressure spaced from each wall of the second pair of walls; establishing the mass in a liquid state; and maintaining an acoustic pressure gradient, in a direction normal to the plane of said cross-sectional view at an intensity less than the pressure gradient near the nodes of said first named and second standing wave patterns, whereby to form an elongated narrow liquid mass.

Claim 20

A method for positioning a mass comprising: establishing the mass in a liquid state in a chamber having a first pair of spaced substantially parallel and substantially flat walls; maintaining the chamber under substantially zero gravity environment; applying acoustic energy perpendicular to the first pair of walls at a frequency that produces a standing wave pattern with at least one node location of minimum pressure spaced from each wall of the first pair of walls; and maintaining an acoustic pressure gradient, in first and second directions which are substantially normal to each other and to the first pair of walls, at an intensity less than the pressure gradient near the node of said standing wave pattern, whereby to form a sheet-like mass.

Claim 21

A method for positioning a mass comprising: establishing the mass in a liquid state in a chamber having a first pair of spaced substantially parallel and substantially flat walls; maintaining the chamber under substantially zero gravity environment; applying acoustic energy perpendicular to the first pair of walls at a frequency that produces a standing wave pattern with at least one node location of minimum pressure spaced from each wall of the first pair of walls; and maintaining an acoustic pressure gradient, in first and second directions which are substantially normal to each other and to the first pair of walls, at an intensity less than the pressure gradient near the node of said standing wave pattern, whereby to form a sheet-like mass.