Disclosed is an apparatus and method for providing asymmetric oscillations to a container. The container may include a fluid, a particle, and/or a gas. A vibration driver attached to the container provides asymmetric oscillations. A controller connected to the vibration driver controls an amplitude, frequency, and shape of the asymmetric oscillations. An amplifier amplifies the asymmetric oscillations in response to the controller. A sensor disposed on the vibration driver provides feedback to the controller.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for providing asymmetric oscillations to a container. The container may include a fluid, a particle, and/or a gas. A vibration driver attached to the container provides asymmetric oscillations. A controller connected to the vibration driver controls an amplitude, frequency, and shape of the asymmetric oscillations. An amplifier amplifies the asymmetric oscillations in response to the controller. A sensor disposed on the vibration driver provides feedback to the controller.

Gas hydrate slurry formation systems are provided. The gas hydrate slurry formation system includes a cavitation chamber configured to receive a fluid and a cavitation device placed within the cavitation chamber. The cavitation device is configured to form a plurality of bubbles within the fluid in the cavitation chamber. The gas hydrate slurry formation system also includes a gas inlet configured to introduce a gas within the cavitation chamber such that the gas is entrained in the plurality of bubbles to form a plurality of gas-entrained bubbles. The plurality of gas-entrained bubbles implode within the cavitation chamber to form a gas hydrate slurry.

A system and method removes petroleum from water by cavitating the petroleum/water mixture with air bubbles; irradiating the cavitated petroleum/water mixture with an electron beam to create ozone within air bubbles; and filtering the water from the irradiated mixture.

A fluid treatment apparatus is described. The fluid treatment apparatus includes: (i) a pulverizer designed to pulverize solids present in a fluid flow to produce pulverized solids admixed with the fluid flow; (ii) a rotatable shaft for rotating the pulverized solids and the fluid flow; (iii) a restrictor or filter for retaining a first portion of the pulverized solids, and allowing a second portion of pulverized solids and a second portion of the fluid flow to pass therethrough; and (iv) a first recirculating line configured to receive the first portion of the pulverized solids and a first portion of the fluid flow that did not pass through the restrictor or the filter.

A substance is treated using a device having: (a) a volute or cyclone head, (b) a throat connected to the volute or cyclone head, (c) a parabolic reflector connected to the throat, (d) a first wave energy source comprising a first electrode within the volute or cyclone head that extends through the outlet into the opening of the throat along the central axis, and a second electrode extending into the parabolic reflector and spaced apart and axially aligned with first electrode, and (e) a second wave energy source disposed inside the throat, embedded within the throat or disposed around the throat. The substance is directed to the inlet of the volute or cyclone head and irradiated with one or more wave energies produced by the first and second wave energy sources as the substance passes through the device.

A process for increasing alcohol yield from biomass (the form or agro- or forest residue, grains, hops, etc.), involving multiple hydrodynamic cavitation treatments of biomass filtrateboth before and after fermentation. Carbohydrates extracted from biomass are subjected to a first cavitation treatment to promote additional conversion into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are then combined with bacterial species and nutrients, and allowed to ferment. The fermentation product is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to promote further conversion of carbohydrates into bioalcohol. After distillation, the bioalcohol is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to increase its purity.

Hydrothermal conversion is performed on organic feedstocks that include solids, by forming a slurry of the feedstock in water and subjecting the slurry to hydrothermal conversion conditions. The hydrothermal conversion conditions may be sufficient to product a carbonized solid and/or liquefaction products. The size of solids (either or both of feedstock or carbonized solids produced in the process) is reduced by conducting a series of bubble-forming and bubble-collapsing cycles on the slurry.

A process for increasing alcohol yield from biomass (the form or agro- or forest residue, grains, hops, etc.), involving multiple hydrodynamic cavitation treatments of biomass filtrateboth before and after fermentation. Carbohydrates extracted from biomass are subjected to a first cavitation treatment to promote additional conversion into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are then combined with bacterial species and nutrients, and allowed to ferment. The fermentation product is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to promote further conversion of carbohydrates into bioalcohol. After distillation, the bioalcohol is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to increase its purity.

A liquid treatment apparatus includes a supply chamber for receiving a fluid, a discharge chamber for discharging the fluid, and a cavitation generating chamber extending from the supply chamber to the discharge chamber. The cavitation generating chamber is operable to generate cavitation bubbles. A method of treating a liquid comprises directing a fluid from a supply chamber into a cavitation generating chamber by constricting the fluid through an orifice, wherein the orifice has a cross dimension that is substantially less than a cross dimension of the supply chamber, such that a fluid jet is formed. The method further includes allowing the fluid jet to expand downstream of the orifice such that the velocity of the fluid is reduced so that the jet axial velocity head at the chamber outlet is less than the difference between the static pressure within the discharge chamber and the vapor pressure of the fluid. The method also includes discharging the fluid into a discharge chamber via a chamber outlet.