US5515684A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Resonant macrosonic synthesis
Assignee: Macrosonix Corp
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Filing: 1994-09-27
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Granted: 1996-05-14
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Expires: 2014-09-27
Abstract
Abstract An acoustic resonator includes a chamber containing a fluid. The chamber has anharmonic resonant modes and provides boundary conditions which predetermine the harmonic phases and amplitudes needed to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform.
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy S. Lucas
- 👤 Thomas W. Van Doren
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 13:45
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10K; G10K11/00; G10K11/02; G10K11/04; F; F25; F25B; F25B1/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
50 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator comprising a chamber being mechanically driven and containing a fluid, said chamber being driven at a resonant mode and having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a, non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
50 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator comprising a chamber being mechanically driven and containing a fluid, said chamber being driven at a resonant mode and having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a, non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said internal wall configuration is such as to produce said non-sinusoidal unshocked wave having an asymmetric positive pressure symmetry at a point within said chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said internal wall configuration is such as to produce said non-sinusoidal unshocked wave having an asymmetric negative pressure symmetry at a point within said chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said internal wall configuration is such as to produce said non-sinusoidal unshocked wave having a symmetric pressure symmetry at a point within said chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said chamber having ends and reflective terminations at each end of said chamber, further comprising means for mechanically oscillating said chamber at a frequency of said resonant mode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said chamber having an open end and a closed end with a reflective termination, further comprising a moving piston coupled to the open end of said chamber, said moving piston oscillating at a frequency of said resonant mode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said chamber comprises a resonant chamber for an acoustic compressor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fluid is a liquid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fluid is a gas.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said chamber substantially comprises a conical geometry.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said chamber substantially comprises a curved geometry.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said chamber includes a curved section and a conical section.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
82 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator comprising a chamber being mechanically driven and containing a fluid, said chamber being driven at a resonant mode and having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform, said chamber having ends and rigid reflective terminations at each end of said chamber, and further comprising a driver for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber at a frequency of said resonant mode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
82 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator comprising a chamber being mechanically driven and containing a fluid, said chamber being driven at a resonant mode and having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform, said chamber having ends and rigid reflective terminations at each end of said chamber, and further comprising a driver for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber at a frequency of said resonant mode.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
96 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator for use in a compression-evaporation system comprising a chamber having rigid interior walls surrounding a longitudinal axis of said chamber and two rigid end walls having acoustic reflective terminations, said interior walls and end walls defining a space within said chamber for containing a refrigerant, said chamber interior walls, end walls and refrigerant defining boundary conditions which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform, said resonator having a driver for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber at a frequency of a resonant mode of said chamber.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
96 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator for use in a compression-evaporation system comprising a chamber having rigid interior walls surrounding a longitudinal axis of said chamber and two rigid end walls having acoustic reflective terminations, said interior walls and end walls defining a space within said chamber for containing a refrigerant, said chamber interior walls, end walls and refrigerant defining boundary conditions which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform, said resonator having a driver for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber at a frequency of a resonant mode of said chamber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
106 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator for use in a compression-evaporation system comprising a chamber having rigid interior walls surrounding a longitudinal axis of said chamber and two rigid end walls having acoustic reflective terminations, said interior walls and end walls defining a space within said chamber for containing a refrigerant, said chamber interior walls, end walls and refrigerant defining boundary conditions which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform and having a distributed impedance such as to minimize turbulence, said resonator having a driver for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber at a frequency of a resonant mode of said chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
106 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator for use in a compression-evaporation system comprising a chamber having rigid interior walls surrounding a longitudinal axis of said chamber and two rigid end walls having acoustic reflective terminations, said interior walls and end walls defining a space within said chamber for containing a refrigerant, said chamber interior walls, end walls and refrigerant defining boundary conditions which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform and having a distributed impedance such as to minimize turbulence, said resonator having a driver for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber at a frequency of a resonant mode of said chamber.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
An acoustic resonator comprising a chamber containing a fluid, said chamber having anharmonic modes and having an inner radius r and an axial coordinate z, where dr/dz is continuous wherever particle velocities are high so as to minimize turbulence.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
39 words
An acoustic resonator comprising a chamber containing a fluid, said chamber having anharmonic modes and having an inner radius r and an axial coordinate z, where dr/dz is continuous wherever particle velocities are high so as to minimize turbulence.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 16, wherein d 2 r/d 2 z does not exceed a value which would cause substantial turbulence for a predetermined acoustic particle velocity.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
50 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator comprising a chamber being heat driven and containing a fluid, said chamber being driven at a resonant mode and having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provides the harmonic phase and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
50 words
An anharmonic acoustic resonator comprising a chamber being heat driven and containing a fluid, said chamber being driven at a resonant mode and having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provides the harmonic phase and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 18, wherein said chamber includes a thermoacoustic driving means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
An acoustic resonator as set forth in claim 18, wherein said chamber is driven by periodic absorption of electromagnetic energy.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
47 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: introducing a fluid into the chamber; and mechanically oscillating the chamber at a frequency of a selected resonant mode; and producing the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal unshocked waveform.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
47 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: introducing a fluid into the chamber; and mechanically oscillating the chamber at a frequency of a selected resonant mode; and producing the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal unshocked waveform.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
47 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: introducing a fluid into the chamber; and thermally driving the chamber at a frequency of a selected resonant mode; and producing the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
47 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: introducing a fluid into the chamber; and thermally driving the chamber at a frequency of a selected resonant mode; and producing the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
87 words
An acoustic compression system comprising: a chamber containing a fluid, said chamber having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal unshocked waveform in said fluid; a driver coupled to said chamber, for causing an acoustic wave to be formed in said chamber to excite a selected resonant acoustic mode of said chamber, so that the fluid is compressed in said chamber; and a flow impedance apparatus coupled to said chamber.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
87 words
An acoustic compression system comprising: a chamber containing a fluid, said chamber having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal unshocked waveform in said fluid; a driver coupled to said chamber, for causing an acoustic wave to be formed in said chamber to excite a selected resonant acoustic mode of said chamber, so that the fluid is compressed in said chamber; and a flow impedance apparatus coupled to said chamber.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
104 words
An acoustic compression system comprising: a chamber containing a refrigerant, said chamber having rigid end walls with acoustic reflective terminations and having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a steady state, non-sinusoidal unshocked waveform in said refrigerant; a driver coupled to said chamber for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber thus causing an acoustic wave to be formed in said chamber to excite a selected resonant acoustic mode of said chamber, so that the refrigerant is compressed in said chamber; and a flow impedance apparatus coupled to said chamber.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
104 words
An acoustic compression system comprising: a chamber containing a refrigerant, said chamber having rigid end walls with acoustic reflective terminations and having means, including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provide the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a steady state, non-sinusoidal unshocked waveform in said refrigerant; a driver coupled to said chamber for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber thus causing an acoustic wave to be formed in said chamber to excite a selected resonant acoustic mode of said chamber, so that the refrigerant is compressed in said chamber; and a flow impedance apparatus coupled to said chamber.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
143 words
A compression-evaporation system comprising: a chamber containing a refrigerant, said chamber having rigid end walls with acoustic reflective terminations and having means including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provides the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal unshocked waveform in said refrigerant, said chamber having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; a driver coupled to said chamber for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber thus causing an acoustic wave to be formed in said chamber to excite a selected resonant acoustic mode of said chamber, so that the refrigerant is compressed in said chamber; a condenser coupled to said at least one outlet of said chamber; a pressure reduction device coupled to said condenser; and an evaporator coupled to said pressure reduction device and to said at least one inlet of said chamber.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
143 words
A compression-evaporation system comprising: a chamber containing a refrigerant, said chamber having rigid end walls with acoustic reflective terminations and having means including at least an internal wall configuration of said chamber, which provides the harmonic phases and amplitudes such as to synthesize a non-sinusoidal unshocked waveform in said refrigerant, said chamber having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; a driver coupled to said chamber for mechanically oscillating the entire chamber thus causing an acoustic wave to be formed in said chamber to excite a selected resonant acoustic mode of said chamber, so that the refrigerant is compressed in said chamber; a condenser coupled to said at least one outlet of said chamber; a pressure reduction device coupled to said condenser; and an evaporator coupled to said pressure reduction device and to said at least one inlet of said chamber.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
35 words
A compression-evaporation system as recited in claim 25, wherein said chamber further comprises a first valve positioned in said at least one inlet and a second valve positioned in said at least said one outlet.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
80 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting the shape of said chamber including inner surface dimensions and contour and two end wall dimensions, each end wall being reflective to acoustic energy, said shape selected to provide a desired non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform when said chamber is driven at a selected resonance mode of said chamber, introducing a fluid into the chamber; and mechanically oscillating the chamber at a frequency of said selected resonant mode.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
80 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting the shape of said chamber including inner surface dimensions and contour and two end wall dimensions, each end wall being reflective to acoustic energy, said shape selected to provide a desired non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform when said chamber is driven at a selected resonance mode of said chamber, introducing a fluid into the chamber; and mechanically oscillating the chamber at a frequency of said selected resonant mode.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
135 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting the shape of said chamber including inner surface dimensions and contour and two end wall dimensions, each end wall being reflective to acoustic energy, said shape selected to provide a desired non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform when said chamber is driven at a selected resonance mode of said chamber, and said shape being selected such that dr/dz is continuous at portions of said chamber inner surface where particle velocities of a fluid within said chamber are sufficiently high so as to otherwise produce substantial turbulence, where r is the radial dimension of said inner surface of said chamber and z is an axial coordinate, introducing said fluid into the chamber; and mechanically oscillating the chamber at a frequency of said selected resonant mode.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
135 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting the shape of said chamber including inner surface dimensions and contour and two end wall dimensions, each end wall being reflective to acoustic energy, said shape selected to provide a desired non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform when said chamber is driven at a selected resonance mode of said chamber, and said shape being selected such that dr/dz is continuous at portions of said chamber inner surface where particle velocities of a fluid within said chamber are sufficiently high so as to otherwise produce substantial turbulence, where r is the radial dimension of said inner surface of said chamber and z is an axial coordinate, introducing said fluid into the chamber; and mechanically oscillating the chamber at a frequency of said selected resonant mode.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
153 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting the shape of said chamber including inner surface dimensions and contour and two end wall dimensions, each end wall being reflective to acoustic energy, said shape selected to provide a desired non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform when said chamber is driven at a selected resonance mode of said chamber, and said shape being selected such that dr/dz is continuous at portions of said chamber inner surface where particle velocities of a fluid within said chamber are sufficiently high as would otherwise produce substantial turbulence, and d 2 r/dz 2 is relatively low so as to minimize turbulence resulting from radial fluid accelerations, where r is the radial dimension of said inner surface of said chamber and z is an axial coordinate, introducing said fluid into the chamber; and mechanically oscillating the entire chamber at a frequency of said selected resonant mode.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
153 words
A method for producing acoustic resonance in a chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting the shape of said chamber including inner surface dimensions and contour and two end wall dimensions, each end wall being reflective to acoustic energy, said shape selected to provide a desired non-sinusoidal, unshocked waveform when said chamber is driven at a selected resonance mode of said chamber, and said shape being selected such that dr/dz is continuous at portions of said chamber inner surface where particle velocities of a fluid within said chamber are sufficiently high as would otherwise produce substantial turbulence, and d 2 r/dz 2 is relatively low so as to minimize turbulence resulting from radial fluid accelerations, where r is the radial dimension of said inner surface of said chamber and z is an axial coordinate, introducing said fluid into the chamber; and mechanically oscillating the entire chamber at a frequency of said selected resonant mode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5319938A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-05-14 | 1999-11-13 | 2000-05-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-05-14 | 2003-11-13 | 2004-05-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-05-14 | 2007-11-13 | 2008-05-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |