Claims
- 1. A method for removing solid particulate material lodged within internal cavities and supported on internal surface regions of a fluid flow control means utilizable for controlling the flow of a fluid being passed therethrough and having fluid inlet means and fluid outlet means, comprising the steps of alternately introducing into the inlet means of the fluid flow control means a stream of compressed gas followed by a stream of a pressurized liquid for contact with the particulate-containing cavities and the particulate-supporting internal surface regions, sequentially discharging the alternately introduced stream of the gas and the stream of the liquid from the fluid flow control means through the outlet means, and establishing a flow restriction in close proximity to the outlet means with said flow restriction being of a size adequate to effect a sufficiently rapid expansion of the compressed gas stream to sufficiently accelerate the stream of the liquid following the expanding gas stream towards the outlet means for producing adequate turbulence in the liquid stream while within the fluid flow control means and in contact with the particulate-containing cavities and the particulate-supporting internal surface regions to dislodge and entrain solid particulate material contacted thereby for the removal thereof from the particulate-containing cavities and the particulate-supporting internal surface regions of the fluid flow control means.
- 2. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 1, wherein the fluid is a liquid phase.
- 3. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 1, wherein the fluid is a gas phase.
- 4. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 1, wherein a plurality of streams the liquid are sequentially and alternately introduced with a plurality of streams of the compressed gas whereby each of the plurality of liquid streams is provided with the solid particulate-dislodging turbulence by the expansion of an immediately preceding gas stream.
- 5. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 4, including the additional step of maintaining the alternate introduction of the liquid stream and the gas streams for a duration adequate to remove substantially all of the solid particulate material contacted by the plurality of turbulent liquid streams from the particulate-containing cavities and the particulate-supporting internal surface regions of the fluid flow control means.
- 6. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 1, wherein the stream of the compressed gas is introduced into inlet means of the fluid flow control means at a pressure adequate upon the expansion thereof across the flow restriction to sufficiently accelerate the stream of liquid towards the outlet means to generate sufficient turbulence in the liquid stream to effect the dislodging and entrainment of the solid particulate material contacted thereby.
- 7. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 6, wherein the liquid stream introduced into the inlet means is at a pressure substantially corresponding to the pressure of the stream of compressed gas.
- 8. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 7, wherein the stream of liquid and the stream of compressed gas are each at pressure in the range of about 5 to 200 psi.
- 9. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 1, wherein the stream of the liquid is introduced into the inlet means of the fluid flow control means for a duration sufficient to provide a volume of liquid adequate to provide turbulent contact thereof with substantially all of the particulate-supporting surface regions and the particulate-containing cavities.
- 10. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 2, wherein the liquid in the liquid stream is substantially inert with respect to the gas in the gas stream, materials forming the fluid flow control means, and the liquid phase controlled by the fluid flow control means.
- 11. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 10, wherein the liquid in the liquid stream substantially mimics the liquid phase controlled by the fluid flow control means.
- 12. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 11, wherein the gas in the gas stream is substantially inert with respect to the liquid in the liquid stream, materials forming the fluid flow control means, and the liquid phase controlled by the fluid flow control means.
- 13. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 3, wherein the liquid in the liquid stream is substantially inert with respect to the gas in the gas stream, materials forming the fluid flow control means, and the gas phase controlled by the fluid flow control means.
- 14. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 13, wherein the gas in the gas stream is substantially inert with respect to the liquid in the liquid stream, materials forming the fluid flow control means, and the gas phase controlled by the fluid flow control means.
- 15. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 14, wherein the gas in the gas stream substantially mimics the gas phase controlled by the fluid flow control means.
- 16. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 12, wherein the fluid flow control means is a liquid fuel injector.
- 17. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 16, wherein the liquid phase is gasoline, wherein the liquid in the liquid stream is a substantially non-flammable solvent mimicking gasoline, and wherein the gas in the gas stream is an inert gas comprising nitrogen, argon, helium, or mixtures thereof.
- 18. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing the flow restriction at a location in close proximity to the outlet means is provided by selectively varying the spacing between ball means and seat means supported by the liquid fuel injector.
- 19. The method for removing solid particulate material from a fluid flow control means of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing the flow restriction includes providing the latter with an opening adequate for the passage of entrained solid particulate material while maintaining the flow restriction at said size.
Government Interests
This invention was made with the support of the United States Government under contract No. DE-AC05-84OR21400 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government has certain rights in this invention.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5119792 |
Gu |
Jun 1992 |
|