Claims
- 1- An apparatus for cleaning contaminating matter from a surface underwater comprising:
a housing having an internal chamber and a rim-shaped end portion adjacent to said chamber, said rim-shaped end portion of said housing being adapted to be placed on a contaminated surface underwater and around contaminating matter on said surface to isolate said contaminating matter and a portion of water in said rim-shaped end portion from ambient water; and cryogenic liquid in said housing, said cryogenic liquid being coupled to said chamber to vent to said chamber and create gas therein to freeze said portion of water and said contaminating matter isolated in said rim-shaped end portion and permit removal of said frozen portion of water and said contaminating matter from said surface.
- 2- An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said housing is adapted to be displaced to break said frozen portion of water and said contaminating matter away from said surface and remove said contaminating matter therefrom.
- 3- An apparatus according to claim 2 further including an insulating layer on said housing.
- 4- An apparatus according to claim 3 further including a wall interposed between said chamber and said end portion, said wall and said rim-shaped end portion conducting heat therethrough.
- 5- An apparatus according to claim 4 further including a reservoir in said housing for said cryogenic liquid.
- 6- An apparatus according to claim 5 further including a valve coupling said reservoir to said chamber to vent said cryogenic liquid to said chamber.
- 7- An apparatus according to claim 6 further including a fitting coupled to said chamber to exhaust said gas therefrom.
- 8- An apparatus according to claim 7 further including an actuator extending through said insulating layer and said housing to control said valve to vent said cryogenic liquid to said chamber.
- 9- An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said chamber, including its constituents said rim-end portion and said wall is made from heat conducting metal.
- 10- An underwater cleaning device comprising:
means for forming a first chamber; cryogenic liquid being contained in said first chamber forming means; means for providing a second chamber; means disposed adjacent said second chamber providing means for defining a rim-shaped end portion, said rim-shaped end portion defining means being sized to fit about contaminating matter on a surface underwater to isolate said contaminating matter an a portion of water from ambient water; means connected to said first chamber forming means and said second chamber providing means for valving said cryogenic liquid from said first chamber forming means to said second chamber providing means to create gas from said cryogenic liquid in said second chamber providing means to freeze said portion of water and said contaminating matter isolated in said rim-shaped end portion defining means on said surface; and means for permitting removal of said frozen portion of water and said contaminating matter from said surface.
- 11- An underwater cleaning device according to claim 10 wherein said removal permitting means is comprised of a housing to contain said first chamber forming means, said cryogenic liquid, said second chamber providing means, and said cryogenic valving means, said housing being adapted to be displaced to break-away and remove said frozen portion of water and said contaminating matter from said surface.
- 12- An underwater cleaning device according to claim 11 further comprising:
means on said housing for insulating said first chamber forming means, said cryogenic liquid, said second chamber providing means, and said cryogenic valving means of said housing from ambient water.
- 13- An underwater cleaning device according to claim 12 further comprising:
means extending through said insulating means and said housing to said cryogenic valving means for controlling venting of said cryogenic liquid to said second chamber providing means.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application entitled “Confined Underwater Cryogenic Surface Preparation” by Billy Courson et al., U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Ser. No. 09/715,210 (NC 82,614), filed Nov. 14, 2000 and incorporates all references and information thereof by reference herein.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
[0002] The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09715210 |
Nov 2000 |
US |
Child |
09968673 |
Oct 2001 |
US |