Title: Converting acoustic energy into useful other energy forms

Abstract

Sonoluminescence is an off-equilibrium phenomenon in which the energy of a resonant sound wave in a liquid is highly concentrated so as to generate flashes of light. The conversion of sound to light represents an energy amplification of eleven orders of magnitude. The flashes which occur once per cycle of the audible or ultrasonic sound fields can be comprised of over one million photons and last for less 100 picoseconds. The emission displays a clocklike synchronicity; the jitter in time between consecutive flashes is less than fifty picoseconds. The emission is blue to the eye and has a broadband spectrum increasing from 700 nanometers to 200 nanometers. The peak power is about 100 milliWatts. The initial stage of the energy focusing is effected by the nonlinear oscillations of a gas bubble trapped in the liquid. For sufficiently high drive pressures an imploding shock wave is launched into the gas by the collapsing bubble. The reflection of the shock from its focal point results in high temperatures and pressures. The sonoluminescence light emission can be sustained by sensing a characteristic of the emission and feeding back changes into the driving mechanism. The liquid is in a sealed container and the seedingmore » of the gas bubble is effected by locally heating the liquid after sealing the container. Different energy forms than light can be obtained from the converted acoustic energy. When the gas contains deuterium and tritium there is the feasibility of the other energy form being fusion, namely including the generation of neutrons. « less

Inventors:

Putterman, Seth J ^[1]; Barber, Bradley Paul ^[2]; Hiller, Robert Anthony ^[3]; Lofstedt, Ritva Maire Johanna ^[3]

---

+ Show Inventor Affiliations

1. Sherman Oaks, CA
2. Northridge, CA
3. Los Angeles, CA

Issue Date:

1997-01-01

Research Org.:

Univ. of California (United States)

OSTI Identifier:

871105

Patent Number(s):

5659173

Assignee:

Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21B - FUSION REACTORS

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

Show more

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21B - FUSION REACTORS

G21B3/00 - Low temperature nuclear fusion reactors, e.g. alleged cold fusion reactors

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

Y02E30/10 - Fusion reactors

Show less

DOE Contract Number:  

FG03-92ER12124

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

converting; acoustic; energy; useful; forms; sonoluminescence; off-equilibrium; phenomenon; resonant; sound; wave; liquid; highly; concentrated; generate; flashes; light; conversion; represents; amplification; eleven; magnitude; occur; cycle; audible; ultrasonic; fields; comprised; million; photons; 100; picoseconds; emission; displays; clocklike; synchronicity; jitter; time; consecutive; fifty; blue; eye; broadband; spectrum; increasing; 700; nanometers; 200; peak; power; milliwatts; initial; stage; focusing; effected; nonlinear; oscillations; gas; bubble; trapped; sufficiently; drive; pressures; imploding; shock; launched; collapsing; reflection; focal; results; temperatures; sustained; sensing; characteristic; feeding; changes; driving; mechanism; sealed; container; seeding; locally; heating; sealing; obtained; converted; contains; deuterium; tritium; feasibility; form; fusion; namely; including; generation; neutrons; light emission; shock wave; acoustic energy; sealed container; peak power; gas bubble; highly concentrated; ultrasonic sound; gas contains; emission displays; energy form; initial stage; emission display; rate flashes; sound wave; locally heating; /250/376/422/