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 internal chamber, said rim-shaped end portion of said housing being 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 internal chamber to vent to said internal 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 breaks said frozen portion of water and said contaminating matter isolated in said rim-shaped end portion away from said contaminated surface and removes 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 internal chamber and said rim-shaped 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 internal chamber to vent said cryogenic liquid to said internal chamber.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 6 further including a fitting coupled to said internal 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 coupling to vent said cryogenic liquid to said internal chamber.
- 9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said chamber, said rim-shaped end portion and said wall are made from heat conducting metal.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
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
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.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/715210 |
Nov 2000 |
US |
Child |
09/968673 |
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US |