Note : Les revendications sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A method for producing an abrasive laden jet of
high velocity liquid with a pressure range of about
5000-100,000 psi at the output of a jet producing
apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
generating a jet of high velocity liquid; and
introducing particles of abrasive into said jet;
and,
orienting said particles velocity vector to that
of said jet; and
accelerating said particles through a nozzle
arrangement having a downstream-most continuous
straight walled cylindrical passageway section which
defines an outlet end serving as said output to a speed
of at least about 80% of that of said jet as the jet
exits the apparatus output and imparting to said
particles a component of movement toward the center of
said jet sufficient to concentrate said particles at
the jet's center as the jet exits said apparatus
output, said straight walled passageway section of said
nozzle arrangement having a length which is between
about 25 and 100 times its diameter so as to impart
said speed to said particles and concentrate them in
the center of the jet.
2. A method as in Claim wherein said concentrating
is accomplished by the step of allowing said jet to
contact a wall to produce a velocity gradient providing
an area of reduced velocity in the area of said wall.
3. A method as in Claim 1 wherein said orienting is
accomplished by the steps of:
introducing said jet with abrasive particles into
a converging section of a nozzle; and
allowing said particles to assume the vector
velocity of said jet in said nozzle.
4. A method as in Claim 1, wherein said acceleration
is accomplished by the steps of:
introducing said oriented abrasive laden steam
into a straight section of a nozzle; and
allowing said particles to accelerate to a speed
approaching that of said jet before exiting said
nozzle.
5. An apparatus for producing a jet of abrasive
liquid at is output, comprising:
jet means for producing a jet of high velocity
fluid and within a pressure range of between about 5000
and 100,000 psi; and,
inlet means for introducing particles of abrasive;
and,
mixing means attached to said jet means and said
inlet means for mixing said jet of high velocity fluid
and said particle of abrasive; and,
orientation means connected to said mixing means
for orienting the velocity vectors of said particles of
abrasive; and
acceleration means including a nozzle arrangement
having a downstream-most continuous straight walled
cylindrical passageway section which defines an outlet
end serving as said output connected to said orienting
means for accelerating said particles of abrasive to a
velocity of at least about 80% of that of said jet of
high velocity fluid as the jet exits said output and
for imparting to said particles a component of movement
toward the center of said jet sufficient to concentrate
said particles at the jet's center as the jet exits
said output, said straight walled passageway section
having a length which is between about 25 and 100 times
its diameter.
6. An apparatus as in Claim 5 wherein the diameter of
said straight section is at least 1.1 times the
diameter of said jet of high velocity fluid.
7. An apparatus as in Claim 6 wherein the diameter
of said straight section is between 1.1 and 10 times
the diameter of said jet of high velocity fluid.
8. An apparatus as in Claim 5 wherein the diameter of
said straight section is at least 1.1 times the
diameter of the largest of said particles.
9. A method as in Claim 1 wherein said generating
step is further comprising the steps of;
producing a body of high pressure fluid; and,
passing said fluid through at least one orifice
less than .05 inches in diameter.
10. An apparatus as in Claim 5 wherein said jet means
includes a jewel orifice for producing a narrow jet of
high velocity fluid.
11. A nozzle as in Claim 5 wherein said straight
section is adapted for contract with a jet of fluid
directed along the center line of said straight
section.
12. A method as in Claim 1 wherein said particle
velocity is 80% of said jet's velocity.
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13. A method as in Claim 1 wherein said stream of
liquid and particles emerge as a coherent jet of small
diameter.
14. A method of producing a particle laden jet of high
velocity liquid within a pressure range of about 5000
to 100,000 psi in which the particles within the jet
are concentrated at its center, said method comprising
the steps of:
(a) providing a nozzle arrangement having a
straight passageway which is defined by an axially
extending interior wall of the arrangement and which
extends from an upstream inlet end to a downstream
outlet end, said passageway including
(i) a first, converging section which
includes said inlet end, and
(ii) a second, continuous straight walled
cylindrical section which extends from said converging
section to and includes said outlet end;
(b) at a specific point coaxial with and upstream
of the inlet end of said passageway, forming a
diverging jet of high velocity liquid having an initial
cross section which is smaller than the cross section
of said straight walled passageway section;
(c) introducing particles into said diverging jet
upstream of the inlet end of said passageway;
(d) directing said particle laden jet coaxially
into said passageway from its inlet end such that the
jet first impinges said interior wall within the
straight walled section of said passageway at a point
downstream from said converging passageway section and
thereafter fills the entire cross section of said
straight walled passageway section so as to form a
boundary layer along said wall which, in turn, forms a
cross sectional flow velocity gradient that is at a
minimum at said wall and progressively increases toward
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the center of the passageway so as to impart to said
particles within the jet a component of movement toward
the center of the jet; and
(e) selecting the length of the straight walled
section of said passageway so that by the time the jet
exits the passageway at said outlet end, the particles
have a velocity of at least about 80% of the liquid
forming the jet and are concentrated in its center,
said straight walled section of said passageway having
a length which is between about 25 and 100 times its
diameter.
15. A method of producing a particle laden jet of high
velocity liquid within a pressure range of about 5000
and 100,000 psi, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a nozzle arrangement having a
straight passageway which is defined by an axially
extending interior wall of the arrangement and which
extends from an upstream inlet end to a downstream
outlet end, said passageway including
(i) a first, converging section which
includes said inlet end, and
(ii) a second, continuous straight walled
cylindrical section which extends from said converging
section to and includes said outlet end;
(b) at a specific point coaxial with and upstream
of the inlet end of said passageway, forming a
diverging jet of high velocity liquid having an initial
cross section which is smaller than the cross section
of said straight walled passageway section;
(c) introducing particles into said diverging jet
upstream of the inlet end of said passageway;
(d) directing said particle laden jet coaxially
into said passageway from its inlet end such that the
jet first impinges said interior wall within the
passageway at a point downstream from said converging
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passageway section and thereafter fills the entire
cross section of the passageway section so as to impart
to said particles a component of movement toward the
center of said jet before exiting said outlet end; and
e) selecting the length of the downstream second
section of said passageway so that by the time the jet
exits the passageway at said outlet end, the particles
within the jet are concentrated in its center, said
second section having length which is between about 25
and 100 times its diameter.
16. A method according to Claim 15 including the step
of selecting the length of the downstream section of
said passageway so that by the time the jet exits the
passageway at said outlet end, the particles have a
velocity of at least 80% of the liquid forming the jet.
17. A method of producing a particle laden jet of high
velocity liquid with a pressure range of about 5000 and
100,000 psi and in which the particles within the jet
are concentrated at its center, said method comprising
the steps of:
(a) providing a nozzle arrangement having a
straight passageway which is defined by a continuous,
axially extending, cylindrical interior wall of the
arrangement and which extends from an upstream inlet
end to a downstream outlet end
(b) at a specific point coaxial with and upstream
of the inlet end of said passageway, forming a
diverging jet of high velocity liquid;
(c) introducing particles into said diverging jet
at a point between the formation of said jet and the
inlet end of said passageway;
(d) directing said particle laden jet coaxially
into said passageway from its inlet end such that the
jet first impinges the interior wall of the passageway
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at a predetermined point downstream from its inlet end
and thereafter fills the entire cross section of the
passageway as the jet moves through the latter to its
outlet end so as to impart to said particles a
component of movement toward the center of the jet; and
(e) selecting the length of said passageway so
that by the time the jet exits the passageway at said
outlet end, the particles therein have a velocity of at
least 80% of the liquid forming the jet and are
concentrated at its center, the length of said
passageway being between about 25 and 100 times its
diameter.
18. A method according to Claim 17 wherein said jet,
upon impingement with the interior wall of said
passageway and filing its entire cross section, forms a
boundary layer along said wall which, in turn forms a
cross-sectional flow velocity gradient that is at a
minimum at said wall and that progressively increases
toward the center of the passageway so as to impart to
the particles a component of movement toward the center
of the jet.
19. A method according to Claim 17 wherein said
passageway at least includes a straight walled section
and wherein said jet first impinges said interior wall
within said straight walled section.
20. A method according to Claim 19 wherein said
passageway includes a converging section upstream of
said straight walled section.
21. An apparatus for producing at its output end a
particle laden jet of high velocity liquid within a
pressure range of between about 5000 and 100,000 psi
and in which the particles within the jet are
concentrated at its center as the jet exits said output
end, said apparatus comprising:
(a) a nozzle arrangement having a straight
passageway which is defined by an axially extending
interior wall of the arrangement and which extends from
an upstream inlet end to said outlet end downstream
from said inlet end, said passageway including
(i) a first, converging section which
includes said inlet end, and
(ii) a second, continuous straight walled
cylindrical section which extends from said converging
section to and includes said outlet end;
(b) means located at a specific point upstream of
the inlet end of said passageway for forming a
diverging jet of high velocity liquid having an initial
cross section which is smaller than the cross section
of said straight walled passageway section;
(c) means for introducing particles into said
diverging jet upstream of the inlet end of said
passageway;
(d) said jet forming means being positioned such
that said particle laden jet enters coaxially into said
passageway from its inlet end such that the jet first
impinges said interior wall within the straight walled
section of said passageway at a point downstream from
said converging passageway section and thereafter fills
the entire cross section of said straight walled
passageway section so as to form a boundary layer along
said walled passageway section so as to form a boundary
layer along said wall which, in turn, forms a cross
sectional flow velocity gradient that is at a minimum
at said wall and progressively increases toward the
center of the passageway so as to impart to said
particles within the jet a component of movement toward
the center of the jet; and
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e) the length of the straight walled section of
said passageway being such that, by the time the jet
exits the passageway at said outlet end, the particles
have a velocity of at least about 80% of the liquid
forming the jet and are concentrated in its center,
said length of said straight walled section being
between about 25 and 100 times its diameter.
22. An apparatus for producing a particle laden jet of
high velocity liquid within a pressure range of about
5000 and 100,000 psi and in which the particles within
the jet are concentrated at its center, said apparatus
comprising:
a) a nozzle arrangement having a continuous
straight cylindrical passageway which is defined by an
axially extending interior wall of the arrangement and
which extends from an upstream inlet end to a
downstream outlet end;
(b) means positioned at a specific point coaxial
with and upstream of the inlet end of said passageway
for forming a diverging jet of high velocity liquid;
(c) means for introducing particles into said
diverging jet at a point between the formation of said
jet and the inlet end of said passageway;
(d) said jet forming means being positioned such
that said particle laden jet is directed coaxially into
said passageway from its inlet end so that the jet
first impinges the interior wall of the passageway at a
predetermined point downstream from its inlet end and
thereafter fills the entire cross section of the
passageway as the jet moves through the latter to is
outlet end so as to impart to said particles a
component of movement toward the center of the jet; and
(e) the length of said passageway being such
that, by the time the jet exits the passageway at said
output end, the particles therein have a velocity of at
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least 80% of the liquid forming the jet and are
concentrated at its center, said length of said
passageway being between about 25 and 100 times its
diameter.
23. An apparatus according to Claim 22 wherein said
passageway at least includes a straight walled section
and wherein said jet first impinges said interior wall
within said straight walled section.
24. An apparatus according to Claim 22 wherein said
passageway includes a converging section upstream of
said straight walled section.
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