Raytheon Company

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Nelson W Sorbo

Weldon S Williamson

John H Wang

Sidney C Chao

Edna M Purer

Franklin A Dolezal

Edward J Palen

Robert W Beach

Fabrics are cleaned by treating at least a portion of the piece of fabric with a particulating chemical, and agitated by a gas jet of a particle-dislodging gas to dislodge the particulated soil. The particulating chemical loosens embedded non-particulate soil and converts it to a particulate form, which is then separated from the fabric by the particle-dislodging gas.

Gas jet removal of particulated soil from fabric

A soiled piece of fabric is cleaned by mechanical agitation while the fabric is simultaneously subjected to acoustic energy in a gaseous environment wherein the piece of fabric is not immersed in a liquid cleaning medium. Mechanical agitation may be by gas jet action and/or by tumbling. The acoustic energy vibrates the fibers of the fabric to enhance the cleaning action. The piece of fabric may be chemically treated to mobilize the soil.

Acoustic-energy-assisted removal of soil from fabric in a gaseous environment

A cleaning system and method utilizing sonic whistle and other agitation methods to enhance the soil removal and mass transport capacity of the liquid carbon dioxide at low process temperatures. Agitation devices disposed in or couple to a cleaning chamber, and cause the liquid carbon dioxide to ultrasonically emulsify and disperse non-miscible liquids or insoluble solids, such as remove low solubility oils and greases. Cleaning is accomplished at temperatures between &minus;68&deg; F. and 32&deg; F., and the temperature of the liquid carbon dioxide is typically below 32&deg; F.

Liquid carbon dioxide cleaning using agitation enhancements at low temperature

Providing triatomic nitrogen (N.sub.3) as a relaxation species to an exhaust gas that includes nitrogen oxide compounds (NO.sub.x) increases the rate of reducing NO.sub.x in a corona discharge apparatus.

NO.sub.x reduction method in corona discharge pollutant destruction

A piece of soiled fabric is cleaned by contacting it with a jet of an ionized soil-dislodging gas to dislodge the soil therefrom. The ionized gas and the use of an oppositely charged electrostatic filter aid in preventing redeposition of the soil onto the fabric. The fabric may be agitated while it is contacted with the gas jet. A portion of the piece of fabric may be treated with an electrostatic spotting compound that enhances the effect of the ionized gas and may also enhance the removal of the soil. An apparatus for accomplishing the cleaning includes a container having an interior in which the fabric is received, a gas jet nozzle directed into the interior of the container, a source of a pressurized gas communicating with an inlet of the gas jet nozzle, a gas jet manifold extending from the source to the gas jet nozzle, and a gas ionizer disposed to ionize the pressurized gas passing through the gas jet nozzle.

Removing soil from fabric using an ionized flow of pressurized gas

A process is provided for cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing substrates comprising the steps of: (a) placing the contaminated substrate in a cleaning vessel; (b) contacting the contaminated substrate with dense phase carbon dioxide in liquid form; (c) subjecting the substrate and the dense phase carbon dioxide to ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength within the range of about 180 to 300 nm for a duration and intensity sufficient to produce a photochemical reaction capable of destroying the DNA of microorganisms on the substrate; (d) substantially simultaneously subjecting at least the dense phase carbon dioxide to agitation; and (e) removing the dense phase carbon dioxide from the cleaning vessel and thereby transporting the contaminants from the substrate such that the substrate is cleaned and, in the case of contaminated garments, disinfected or, in the case of medical and dental instrumentation, sterilized. Substantially simultaneously with the UV exposure and agitation, the substrates are also subjected to an oxidizing sterilant, such as H.sub.2 O.sub.2.

Process for cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing materials using the

In a pollutant destruction apparatus employing one or more corona discharge reactors, an automatic control system controls power generation characteristics for corona discharge reactions according to factors such as the types and the amounts of pollutants in an exhaust gas, maximum allowable emissions, engine operating characteristics, drive control characteristics and intelligent vehicle highway system inputs, to achieve improved treatment of the pollutants.

Automatic control method for corona discharge pollutant destruction

A corona discharge pollutant destruction reactor employs two or more electrodes to enhance the effective corona discharge treatment volume by distributing a varying electric field pattern over the reactor's interior chamber. Appropriate delay circuitry allows the inner electrodes to be driven out of phase with each other by a sinusoidal voltage waveform, or corona producing voltage pulses to be cyclically supplied to the inner electrodes in sequence, preferably without overlapping the pulses.

Multi-electrode corona discharge pollutant destruction apparatus

A cleaning system and method utilizing sonic whistle agitation to enhance the soil removal and mass transport capacity of the liquid carbon dioxide at low process temperatures. Sonic whistles are within a cleaning chamber, and liquid carbon dioxide is forced out of the sonic whistle jets to ultrasonically emulsify and disperse non-miscible liquids or insoluble solids, such as remove low solubility oils and greases, in the liquid carbon dioxide contained in the cleaning chamber. Cleaning is accomplished at temperatures between -68.degree. F. and 88.degree. F., and the temperature of the liquid carbon dioxide is typically below 32.degree. F.

Liquid carbon dioxide cleaning using jet edge sonic whistles at low

An indoor air pollutant destruction apparatus destroys pollutants by a corona discharge that is generated by a rapidly oscillating electric field. Free electrons generated by the corona discharge produces ozone (O.sub.3), which effectively destroys volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and biological forms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and spores. Fine particulate materials such as smoke and dust are charged by the corona discharge, and when they pass through the rapidly oscillating electric field, they coagulate to form larger particles which are then filtered out.

Indoor air pollutant destruction apparatus and method using corona

Automatic control system and method for corona discharge pollutant

In a gaseous pollutant destruction apparatus employing a corona discharge reactor for reducing nitrogen oxide compounds (NO.sub.x), a fuel injection system provides a precisely controlled small quantity of hydrocarbon fuel to the corona discharge reactor to facilitate the destruction of NO.sub.x.

Growing community of inventors

Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

Nelson W Sorbo