Claims
- 1. An apparatus for generating a high pressure fluid jet for treatment of a selected surface, comprising:
a source of a first fluid having a pressure of at least approximately 10,000 psi; a source of a second fluid; a supply conduit coupled to the source of the first fluid; a nozzle support body coupled to the supply conduit and having a nozzle passage in fluid communication with the supply conduit; a nozzle positioned in the nozzle passage, the nozzle having a nozzle orifice in fluid communication with the source of the first fluid; a delivery conduit proximate to the nozzle support body and having a first conduit opening in fluid communication with the nozzle orifice, the delivery conduit further having a second conduit opening spaced apart from the first conduit opening for directing the fluid jet, the delivery conduit having a conduit channel extending between the first and second conduit openings, a length of the conduit channel between the first and second conduit openings being at least approximately ten times a mean diameter of the second conduit opening, at least one of the nozzle and the delivery conduit having at least one aperture coupled to the source of the second fluid, the aperture being between the nozzle orifice and the second opening of the conduit; and a housing disposed about the second conduit opening and extending from the second conduit opening toward the selected surface to contain debris generated by the fluid jet when the fluid jet impinges on the selected surface.
- 2. An apparatus for generating a high pressure fluid jet for treatment of a selected surface, comprising:
a nozzle configured to be coupled to a source of fluid, the nozzle having a nozzle orifice with a first opening in fluid communication with the source of the fluid and a second opening downstream of the first opening; a conduit having a first conduit opening in fluid communication with the second opening of the nozzle orifice, the conduit further having a second conduit opening spaced apart from the first conduit opening for directing the fluid jet, the conduit having a channel extending between the first conduit opening and the second conduit opening, the conduit and the nozzle defining a flow passage extending therebetween, the flow passage having at least one aperture between the second opening of the nozzle orifice and the second opening of the conduit, the aperture being coupled to a vacuum source for drawing a vacuum through the conduit and through the aperture; and a housing disposed about the second conduit opening and extending from the second conduit opening toward the selected surface, the housing having a housing aperture coupled to a source of a second fluid, the second fluid being drawn from the source of second fluid into the housing and through the conduit by the vacuum source.
- 3. An apparatus for generating a high pressure fluid jet for treatment of a selected surface, comprising:
a supply conduit configured to be coupled to a source of a first fluid; a nozzle rotatably coupled to the supply conduit and rotatable relative to the supply conduit, the nozzle having a nozzle orifice in fluid communication with the supply conduit; and a delivery conduit having a first conduit opening in fluid communication with the nozzle orifice, the delivery conduit further having a second conduit opening spaced apart from the first conduit opening for directing the fluid jet toward the selected surface, the delivery conduit having a channel extending between the first conduit opening and the second conduit opening, at least one of the delivery conduit and the nozzle having at least one aperture configured to be coupled to a source of a second fluid, the aperture being between the nozzle orifice and the second opening of the conduit.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the nozzle is a first nozzle, the nozzle orifice is a first nozzle orifice, the delivery conduit is a first delivery conduit and the aperture is a first aperture, further comprising:
a nozzle support body supporting the first nozzle; a second nozzle housed in the nozzle support body and spaced apart from the first nozzle, the second nozzle having a second nozzle orifice; and a second delivery conduit having a first conduit opening in fluid communication with the second nozzle orifice, the second delivery conduit further having a second conduit opening spaced apart from the first conduit opening of the second delivery conduit, the second delivery conduit having a channel extending between the first conduit opening of the second delivery conduit and the second conduit opening of the second delivery conduit, at least one of the second conduit and the second nozzle having a second aperture configured to be coupled to the source of the second fluid, the second aperture being between the second opening of the second nozzle orifice and upstream of the second opening of the second conduit.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a manifold positioned adjacent the supply conduit, the manifold having a first manifold aperture in fluid communication with the first nozzle and a second manifold aperture in fluid communication with the second nozzle.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising the first fluid and the source of the first fluid, the first fluid being a liquid.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising the second fluid and the source of the second fluid, the second fluid being a gas.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising the second fluid and the source of the second fluid, the second fluid being a liquid.
- 9. An apparatus for controlling a coherence of a high pressure liquid jet, comprising:
a first nozzle body having a first nozzle orifice with a first flow area; a second nozzle body downstream of the first nozzle body, the second nozzle body having a second nozzle orifice with a second flow area, a ratio of the first flow area to the second flow area being at least approximately one to generate a liquid jet exiting the second nozzle having a selected coherence level; and a flow conduit having a passageway between the first and second nozzle bodies for directing high pressure liquid from the first nozzle body to the second nozzle body.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein a ratio of the first flow area to the second flow area is in the range of approximately five to approximately twenty.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein a ratio of the first flow area to the second flow area is approximately ten.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second nozzle orifice has a generally round cross-sectional shape.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the flow conduit has a first conduit flow area toward the first nozzle body and a second conduit flow area toward the second nozzle body, the first conduit flow area being less than the second conduit flow area.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a spring member biasing the first nozzle body toward the second nozzle body.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein high pressure liquid is provided to the first nozzle body through a supply conduit, further wherein the flow conduit is connected to the first and second nozzle bodies, the first nozzle body, second nozzle body and flow conduit being removable as a unit from the supply conduit.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a delivery conduit positioned downstream of the second orifice nozzle for directing the liquid jet toward a selected surface.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the liquid is a first fluid and the delivery conduit includes at least one entrainment aperture coupled to a source of a second fluid, the entrainment aperture being in fluid communication with the first fluid for entraining the second fluid with the first fluid.
- 18. An apparatus for controlling a coherence of a high pressure liquid jet, comprising:
a high pressure flow conduit having an entrance aperture for receiving a flow of liquid, an exit aperture downstream of the entrance aperture, and a flow channel extending between the entrance aperture and the exit aperture, a flow area of the flow channel being greater toward the exit aperture than toward the entrance aperture; and a nozzle body positioned proximate to the exit aperture and having a nozzle orifice to direct high pressure liquid away from the exit in the form of a high pressure fluid jet.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein a wall of the flow conduit defines at least a portion of a cone.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the nozzle orifice has a diameter in the range of 0.005 inch to 0.020 inch.
- 21. A removable nozzle assembly for a high pressure fluid jet device, the fluid jet device including a supply conduit having a channel with an open end, the removable nozzle assembly comprising:
a flow conduit having a first end and a second end downstream of the first end, the flow conduit further having a first opening toward the first end, a second opening toward the second end, and a flow channel between the first and second openings; and at least one nozzle body positioned proximate one of the first and second openings of the flow conduit, the nozzle body having an orifice with an upstream opening for receiving fluid flow and a downstream opening for exiting the fluid flow, the nozzle body and the flow conduit being movable as a unit relative to the supply conduit between an installed position with the orifice of the nozzle body in fluid communication with the channel of the supply conduit and an uninstalled position with the orifice of the nozzle body out of fluid communication with the channel of the supply conduit.
- 22. The removable nozzle assembly of claim 21 wherein the nozzle body is a first nozzle body and the orifice is a first orifice, further comprising a second nozzle body having a second orifice and being positioned proximate to the other of first and second openings of the flow conduit.
- 23. The removable nozzle assembly of claim 22 wherein the second nozzle body is positioned upstream of the first nozzle body and the second orifice has a flow area at least as large as a flow area of the first orifice.
- 24. The removable nozzle assembly of claim 22 wherein the nozzle body is positioned toward the second end of the flow channel and the flow channel has a first flow area toward the first end and a second flow area toward the second end, the first flow area of the flow channel being less than the second flow area of the flow channel such that the flow channel diverges between the first end and the second end.
- 25. The removable nozzle assembly of claim 22 wherein the supply conduit has a threaded portion toward the open end thereof, further comprising a threaded member for engaging the threaded portion of the supply conduit and biasing the nozzle body into engagement with the supply conduit.
- 26. An apparatus for generating a high pressure fluid jet for treatment of a selected surface, comprising:
a nozzle having a nozzle orifice extending therethrough, the nozzle being configured to withstand pressures generated by a first fluid passing through the nozzle orifice from a source of the first fluid where the first fluid has a static pressure of at least approximately 100,000 psi; a delivery conduit having a first conduit opening in fluid communication with the nozzle orifice, the delivery conduit further having a second conduit opening spaced apart from the first conduit opening for directing the fluid jet, the delivery conduit having a conduit channel extending between the first and second conduit openings, the delivery conduit being configured to withstand pressures generated by the first fluid passing through the conduit channel, at least one of the nozzle and the delivery conduit having at least one aperture upstream of the second conduit opening, the aperture being configured to be coupled to a source of a second fluid; and a housing disposed about the second conduit opening and extending from the second conduit opening toward the selected surface.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the housing includes a port for coupling the housing to a source of a selected fluid.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/919,646, filed on Jul. 31, 2001, now pending. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/919,646 is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/275,520, filed on Mar. 24, 1999, now issued. These applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Divisions (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09919646 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10873521 |
Jun 2004 |
US |
Parent |
09275520 |
Mar 1999 |
US |
Child |
09919646 |
Jul 2001 |
US |