Eastman-kodak Company

Robert Peter Kraus, Jr

Roland J Koestner

Steven D Possanza

Fugui He

Paul P Zontek

Stephen K Clyde

Kim E Goppert

Simon C Haseler

Edwin J Voll

A method is taught for debubbling a liquid composition containing entrained gas bubbles that increases the effectiveness of ultrasonic debubbling apparatus employed. The method comprises the steps of immersing an ultrasonic horn in water, the horn being contained within a vessel and coupled to a pair of transducers; adjusting an RF generator connected to the pair of transducers to produce a signal at or near a parallel resonance frequency of the pair of transducers; fixing the RF generator at a constant voltage level; and flowing the liquid composition to be debubbled through the vessel with the RF generator operating at constant voltage level and at a variable operating power level that varies with the viscosity of the liquid composition.

Process control method to increase deaeration capacity in an ECR by constant voltage operation

A method and apparatus for evaluating the end cap round transducer horn assemblies used in debubbling operations wherein the ECR THA can be evaluated off-line at both high and low power and on-line by making electrical measurements on the ECR THA. The electrical measurements are used to characterize the physical condition of the piezoelectric ceramics of the THA. A test box is employed to practice the method. The test box is connected between the THA and a signal analyzer. Power is supplied to the THA and the electrical signals across the THA are sampled. The sampled electrical signals are transmitted to the signal analyzer while maintaining the amplitude and phase relationship thereof. The sampled electrical signals are used to generate an impedance trace for the particular THA. That impedance trace is compared to a model impedance trace. In such manner, it can be determined whether the ECR THA is operational. Further, if the ECR THA is in working condition, the impedance trace can be used to determine how efficiently it is operating. This allows for an ultimate determination to be made of how well a particular ECR THA is functioning.

Electrical circuit for testing a transducer horn assembly

Method for evaluating transducer horn assembly used in debubbling by comparing frequency dependent impedance to model

Apparatus for testing transducer horn assembly debubbling devices

Method for testing transducer horn assembly used in debubbling by

Method for testing transducer horn Assembly used in debubbling by

Method and apparatus for testing transducer horn assembly for testing

Apparatus and method for removing bubbles from a discrete sample of a temperature-sensitive liquid, particularly a photographic emulsion. A container having a bottom and side walls defines a sample area containing the liquid to be sampled and is made of a substantially acoustically transparent material. The container is removably mounted to a receptacle such that the bottom and at least a portion of the side walls are immersed in a fluid bath. The fluid bath is heated to maintain the liquid at a predetermined temperature greater than ambient temperature. An ultrasonic device spaced from the container directs ultrasonic waves through the fluid toward the bottom of the container to degas the liquid.

Apparatus and method for debubbling a discrete sample of liquid

A probe 10 and method for measuring a gaseous material, such as air, entrained in a solution (S) has a protective sheath member 14 having an ultrasonic transducer 18 encased therein and a reflecting member 42 spatially separated from the active area of face 20 of transducer 18. Upon activation of transducer 18, ultrasonic waves are emitted from transducer 18 that reflect off the gaseous material in the form of bubbles 48 and reflecting member 42 thereby producing correspondingly associated backscattered signals therefrom. Accordingly, the backscattered measurement is operative at low entrained air levels when only a few bubbles or gas 48 are present. Scattering from reflecting member 42 is useful at higher entrained air levels, approaching foam.

Entrained air measurement apparatus and method

The invention is a sampling device (4) and method used to remove bubble free samples from a bubble laden liquid. The device includes a power supply (10), a transducer (6) and a sampling probe (5). The power supply (10) converts normal line voltage to 20 kHz electrical energy. This high frequency electrical energy is converted to mechanical vibrations via the piezoelectric transducer (6). These mechanical vibrations propagate down the sampling probe (5) and emanate from the tip of the probe in the form of ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic waves emanating from the probe tip serve to push away air bubbles from the vicinity of the tip. This allows the removal of a bubble free sample from the bubble laden liquid for further analysis.

Sipper tube with ultrasonic debubbling

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Robert Peter Kraus, Jr