Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

Described herein are method for conducting sonochemical reactions and processes in a liquid. The liquid is passed through a device that generates a liquid jet containing cavitation bubbles and collides the liquid jet with an impact body or other liquid jet to force the collapse of the cavitation bubbles at a select compressive stagnation pressure. The compressive stagnation pressure of the liquid is between 50 and 99 percent of the static pressure of the liquid upon entry of a constriction that generates the liquid jet containing cavitation bubbles.

A fluid mixing assembly comprising a fluid agitating element adapted to reciprocate within a fluid between a first position and a second position. The fluid agitating element having an internally disposed magnetic member adapted to couple with an external drive device.

Described herein are method for conducting sonochemical reactions and processes in a liquid. The liquid is passed through a device that generates a liquid jet containing cavitation bubbles and collides the liquid jet with an impact body or other liquid jet to force the collapse of the cavitation bubbles at a select compressive stagnation pressure. The compressive stagnation pressure of the liquid is between 50 and 99 percent of the static pressure of the liquid upon entry of a constriction that generates the liquid jet containing cavitation bubbles.

Described herein are method for conducting sonochemical reactions and processes in a liquid. The liquid is passed through a device that generates a liquid jet containing cavitation bubbles and collides the liquid jet with an impact body or other liquid jet to force the collapse of the cavitation bubbles at a select compressive stagnation pressure. The compressive stagnation pressure of the liquid is between 50 and 99 percent of the static pressure of the liquid upon entry of a constriction that generates the liquid jet containing cavitation bubbles.

A fluid mixing assembly comprising a fluid agitating element adapted to reciprocate within a fluid between a first position and a second position. The fluid agitating element having an internally disposed magnetic member adapted to couple with an external drive device.

A mixing device for mixing a powder-liquid mixture, comprises a movable body, arranged within the housing, with a channel formed between the housing and the movable body. An actuator moves the movable body between a closed and an opened position. The movable body comprises a first body section having a first set of openings, and a second body section having a second set of openings. The housing comprises a sleeve with a covering section that covers the second set of openings when the movable body is in the closed position, for minimizing a flow of the mixture through the second set of openings, and be offset from the second set of openings when the movable body is in the open position, for allowing the mixture to flow into the channel through the second set of openings.

The present invention is a mixing device for producing compressed foam for an extinguishing device for firefighting comprising a foam solution inlet that is operatively connected to a foam solution mixture area that is operatively connected to a compressed air inlet that is operatively connected to a compressed air injection manifold that is operatively connected to a mixing chamber. The compressed air injection manifold having a plurality of lateral sides that have a plurality of holes distributed across at least one of the lateral sides. A scrubbing collector pipe that extends into the mixing chamber to form an annular flow area within the mixing chamber. The scrubbing collector pipe having a plurality of holes distributed around an outer periphery of the scrubbing collector pipe. An inner collector pipe within the scrubbing collector pipe. A compressed air foam outlet operatively connected to the scrubbing collector pipe.

A self-pressurization gas-liquid mixing device used for making a beverage is provided. The self-pressurization gas-liquid mixing device includes a container, a liquid inlet pipe configured to allow liquid to enter the container, a gas inlet pipe configured to allow gas to enter the container, and a liquid discharging pipe configured to discharge the liquid; a partition plate is arranged in the container to divide the container into a premixing chamber and a mixing chamber, the premixing chamber is arranged at the side of the liquid inlet pipe and the gas inlet pipe, the partition plate is provided with a plurality of premixing through holes, a mixing layer is further arranged between the mixing chamber and the liquid discharging pipe and includes a plurality of miniature pipes, and whisker holes which are opened and closed in one direction are formed in pipe walls of the miniature pipes.

An impinging-type temperature uniformity device includes an outer case portion; and a temperature uniformizer provided in the outer case portion, spaced apart inwardly from an inner surface of the outer case portion and connected to the outer case portion, wherein the temperature uniformizer includes: a head portion provided in the outer case portion; and a body portion spaced apart inwardly from the inner surface of the outer case portion and including at least one through-hole.