Case Western Reserve University

Arch Development Corporation

Thomas L Tolt

Roger B Poeppel

Donald L Feke

A method for separating particles from a flowing fluid suspension comprises the steps of providing an elongated chamber having closed first and second ends, flowing into the elongated chamber a fluid medium in which particles to be separated are suspended, and propagating an acoustic wave through the flowing fluid medium in the chamber. The acoustic wave is directed generally along the length of the chamber and is varied in frequency within a desired frequency range including a frequency resonant to the chamber to produce stationary coincidence excitations that separate particles from the fluid medium and urges the separated particles toward the second end of the chamber. The method also includes the steps of removing the fluid medium from the first end of the chamber and removing from the chamber the particles urged toward the second end of the chamber. The apparatus for separating particles from a flowing fluid comprises a tube having first and second open ends, a first outlet port adjacent the first end, a second outlet port adjacent the second end, and an inlet port intermediate the first and second end. Each end of the tube is closed by a spacer bonded to the tube end. A transducer is bonded to each spacer.

Acoustically driven particle separation method and apparatus

A polycrystalline metal oxide such as YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-X (where 0&lt;X&lt;0.5) exhibits superconducting properties and is capable of conducting very large current densities. By aligning the two-dimensional Cu-O layers which carry the current in the superconducting state in the a- and b-directions, i.e., within the basal plane, a high degree of crystalline axes alignment is provided between adjacent grains permitting the conduction of high current densities. With the superconducting metal oxide in the form of a ceramic slip which has not yet set, orientation of the crystal basal planes parallel with the direction of desired current flow is accomplished by an applied acoustic plane wave in the acoustic or ultrasonic frequency range (either progressive or standing) in applying a torque to each crystal particle. The ceramic slip is then set and fired by conventional methods to produce a conductor with preferentially oriented grains and substantially enhanced current carrying capacity.

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North Olmsted, OH, United States of America

Thomas L Tolt