Sonic processor

Claim 1

A processing device for de-emulsifying an emulsified liquid flowing through a duct, said device comprising: an enclosure formed by closely spaced-apart walls that include an upper substantially rectangular shaped wall and a lower substantially rectangular shaped wall closely spaced from the upper wall, the upper and lower walls being connected by spaced-apart side walls and defining a processing chamber, an inlet to and outlet from said processing chamber, said inlet and outlet defining means for connecting said device to said duct so that the liquid flowing through the duct passes through the chamber, a thin flat processing plate of substantially rectangular shape positioned within said chamber substantially parallel to the upper and lower walls and oriented in the direction of flow of the liquid through the chamber, the processing plate being spaced from and not touching any of the walls of the enclosure, and a sonic transducer operatively connected to said plate to impart sonic energy to said plate and into the liquid flowing through the chamber so as to create pressure fronts in the liquid and thereby de-emulsify the liquid.