IE20190146A2 - Laminar flow water jet with exciter vibration device for illumination control and reduction of trapped air - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laminar flow water jet whereby the jet can be illuminated in a controlled manner using water cooled LEDs and an electromechanical exciter. The exciter is controlled electronically in order to disrupt the laminar flow jet in a controlled manner; in addition, the vibration caused by the exciter can be used to remove air bubbles and other particles that would otherwise reduce the performance of the nozzle used to create the laminar jet. The LEDs are used to illuminate the jet, and the disrupted sections of the jet will become more visible than those jet sections that are more fully laminar. Multiple jets can be combined to implement a display which can be used to display images and text. <Figure 1>

Description

19/10/2019 Title Laminar Flow Water Jet With Exciter Vibration Device For Illumination Control And Reduction Of Trapped Air Field of the Invention The invention relates to nozzles which generate a laminar flow of fluid, and more specifically, to a laminar flow water jet lighting apparatus and method.

Background to the Invention It is often desired to utilize a fluid, such as water, as part of a display or attraction. Illuminated laminar flow jets have become popular water features in fountains, swimming pools, spas, ponds, lakes, fountains, parks, advertisements, amusement parks, shopping centres, and other water features. Part of the reason for their popularity is the ability to light up glass-like rods of laminar water flow streams or segments of water. However, the high clarity of the stream in a 15 laminar water flow stream or segment reduces the effect since most of the light travels through he jet instead of radiating from its sides.

Existing solutions to this problem include stream interrupters such as “thumpers” and “scratchers”. These methods disrupt the stream and cause some illumination but they do not provide the ability to light up the laminar water flow stream in a highly controlled way. “Thumper” 20 stream interrupters tend to interrupt the flow with a distinct and limited disruption, providing bursts of light, particularly at the point of aberration in the laminar flow water stream, but not a continual light stream or segment with sufficient luminescence. A “scratcher” device typically uses a screw or pin that touches the stream and disrupts the laminar flow along its surface. This disturbance helps radiate the light, but has only limited effect since the stream will light up better 25 in the first section of the stream, but radiate much less light further along the stream.

Many methods have been utilized to obtain laminar flow of fluids, reducing turbulence by providing relatively small flow passages thereby reducing the Reynolds number of the flow to a value below the Reynolds number at which the flow becomes laminar. Smaller flow passages typically provide lower Reynolds numbers and hence a better laminar flow. These methods 30 include the use of curved perforated disks inserted in the nozzle, a plurality of straight perforated screens, or a plurality of straight tubes or straws. However, an issue with all these methods is that air bubbles can become trapped, particularly in smaller flow passages, and this has a negative effect since the blocked flow passages don’t contribute to reducing the Reynolds number. 19/10/2019 Typically the degree of unwanted turbulence in a laminar stream is affected by the velocity of the stream as it leaves the nozzle, and by the diameter of the nozzle. This means that a laminar stream with a given specification will require a nozzle with a minimum diameter if the stream is to remain laminar throughout its full length. Laminar flow stream specifications typically include 5 the initial diameter of the stream as it leaves the nozzle, the vertical height it travels, and the horizontal distance it travels.

This invention provides a means for producing an apparatus and method that resolves the issues above, is easy to manufacture and is cost effective to produce.

This invention provides a means for producing an apparatus with improved control of radiated 10 light within a laminar flow stream, for removing trapped air bubbles and thus minimizing the diameter of the nozzle required for a laminar stream with a given specification.

The means provided is in the form of an audio exciter which is mechanically attached to the nozzle, and excited by an electrical signal of varying amplitude, varying fundamental frequency, and varying harmonic frequency and phase content. The electrical signal is provided by a 15 programmable electronic control unit.

Audio exciters are now mass produced. They are built on the same principal as audio loudspeakers, where a permanent magnet and a moving voice coil generate sound in response to an audio signal. However, loudspeakers rely on a diaphragm to modulate air and make sound. Exciters rely upon the voice coil being coupled directly to the surface of an object, 20 transforming that object’s surface into a loudspeaker by imparting vibration from the exciter’s moving mass into the object’s surface. An audio exciter can be attached to a laminar flow nozzle to provide a low cost method for vibrating the nozzle in a highly controllable manner. The exciter can vibrate the nozzle in order to remove trapped air bubbles thus facilitating smaller flow passages in the nozzle, and smaller diameter nozzles for a given design.

The exciter can also be used to control the illumination intensity in the laminar stream, and the duration of the illumination. For example a constant gentle vibration could be employed to illuminate the entire stream whereas a stronger vibration for a short period of time could be employed to send a short highly illuminated section along the stream. If the vibration exciter is controlled in conjunction with a pulsed light source, then an illuminated section of the stream 30 can be made to appear stationary, and can be made to appear to begin and end at controllable positions in the laminar stream.

This invention also provides a means for producing a device consisting of a multitude of nozzles in close proximity so that a display area consisting of a multitude of laminar streams can be created. Since each laminar stream can be illuminated at controllable points in the stream, a 35 means for producing text and images on the display is realized. The horizontal resolution of the 19/10/2019 device will depend on of the diameter of the nozzles. Nozzles with smaller diameters can be placed closer together to increase the horizontal resolution.

It is difficult to waterproof light sources in laminar flow nozzles, and consumer devices often leak and exhibit short operational lifetimes. This invention also provides a cost effective means for 5 producing a reliable water cooled LED based light source for the nozzle.

Statement of Invention The present invention provides a means for producing a laminar output of fluid which has improved illumination control.

The present invention provides a means for removing air bubbles from the nozzle thus facilitating smaller flow passages in the nozzle, and smaller diameter nozzles for a given design.

The present invention provides a cost effective means for producing a reliable water cooled LED based light source for the nozzle.

The present invention provides a means for producing a device consisting of a multitude of 15 nozzles in close proximity so that a display area consisting of a multitude of laminar streams can be created and used to display text and images.

Brief description of the drawings Embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail by way of drawings.

FIG. 1/4 shows a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2/4 shows an isometric (3D) view of the components of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3/4 shows a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention with a multitude of nozzles in close proximity so that a display area consisting of a multitude of laminar 25 streams can be created and used to display text and images.

FIG. 4/4 shows top views and a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention whereby a multitude of nozzles can be located in close proximity to each other so that the display area resolution is improved.

Detailed description 19/10/2019 One embodiment is described below. An RGBW LED module (20) is mounted on heat conducting plate (100) by attaching it with bolts through holes (110). A transparent disc is attached to the top of heat conducting plate (400) and sealed. In one embodiment a clear acrylic disk (60) is glued using epoxy to an aluminium disc. Light passes through hole (420) and the acrylic disk. Heat conducting component (200) is placed in fluid intake module (300) and bolts are passed through holes (410) and holes (320) and secured so that a seal is created. Heat conducting washer (200) is placed in hole (310) and the bolts are then passed through holes (120) and secured. A heat conducting paste is used to improve the thermal connection between (100), (200) and (400). In one embodiment, components (400), (200) and (100) are made from aluminium and heat is transferred through them from the LED module (20) to water flowing in fluid intake module (300). Water enters through inlet (350). Heat conducting washer (200) contains a hole (210) so that a cable from a control module can be connected to the LED module (20).

Turbulence reduction component (500) is then glued into fluid intake module (300) so that fluid 15 entering the fluid intake module (300) is released into the main nozzle tube (10) through a multitude of outlet paths (510). Hole (520) allows trapped air to escape.

The fluid intake module (300) has a channel (340) for a seal that is used to seal the connection with the main nozzle tube (10).

The fluid travels up the main nozzle tube (10) until it encounters the first mesh (600). This mesh 20 further reduces turbulence and also has a hole (610) that provides support for light transport tube (40). In one embodiment light transport tube (40) is a clear acrylic rod. The light transport tube is further supported mechanically by holes in other components (420, 610, 620, 710 and 820). The fluid travels further up the main nozzle tube (10) until it encounters the second mesh (650) which is identical to the first mesh. The space in the nozzle between the first and second mesh (630) is optionally filled with a water flow retarding material. In one embodiment the fluid flow retarding material is made from a polypropylene scouring pad. Its function is to minimize turbulence as the fluid leaves the second mesh (650).

The top of the third mesh (700) is attached to a fine mesh (not shown) that is used to contain a multitude of narrow diameter straws (750). The top of the fourth mesh (800) is also attached to 30 a fine mesh (not shown) that is used to contain the other ends of the straws. These straws reduce the Reynolds number of the flow.

The top seal module (900) has a channel (920) for a seal that is used to seal the connection with the main nozzle tube (10). It also has a channel (910) for a seal that is used to seal the connection with the orifice plate (1000). The orifice plate contains orifice (1010) through which 35 the laminar stream emerges. 19/10/2019 Holes on the orifice plate (1020) and holes in the fluid intake module (330) are used in conjunction with elastic or springs to press the orifice plate to the top of main nozzle tube and to press the fluid intake module to the bottom of main nozzle tube so that seals are formed. This arrangement allows several nozzles to be placed in close proximity to each other.

In one embodiment, the vibration exciter (30) is mechanically attached near the top of the main nozzle tube. The vibration exciter and RGBW LED module are controlled by a programmable electronic control unit (50). Electrical connections are not shown.

In one embodiment, a plurality of nozzles (1500) can be placed close to each other to create a display from a plurality of laminar flow streams (1510). Fluid from the streams is collected in a collector (1550) and returned through a pipe (1560). The nozzles are supplied by a pump and expansion system to minimize pump pressure variations in a closed system where returned fluid is recirculated via a water treatment system (not shown). The nozzles are thus fed from a single water supply (1540) which is distributed to the nozzles using manifolds (1530) and the stream heights are aligned using taps (1520). The operation of the plurality of nozzles is co-ordinated and synchronized by a master programmable electronic control unit (1570) which itself is configurable by application software running on an external device such as a mobile phone, tablet, or computer. This configuration will enable the display of illuminated moving text and images, and also text and images that appear to remain static or even move downwards if the illumination is pulsed in an appropriate manner.

A top view of a selection of the plurality of nozzles (2100) shows that the nozzle design enables them to be placed close together and this is important for the horizontal resolution of the display. Horizontal resolution can be increased by adding a second plurality of nozzles (2200) but the laminar streams would then no longer be in a single plane. An alternative means to increase the horizontal resolution is to add a second plurality of nozzles with narrower initial laminar stream diameter and higher initial velocity below the first (2300).

The plurality of nozzles (1500) can be used to create an almost flat display as illustrated or alternatively to create a circular, rectangular, tubular or other display depending on how the nozzles are positioned.

Claims (2)

Claims

1. An electromechanical exciter attached to a laminar flow water jet nozzle; the electromechanical exciter is controlled electronically to vibrate the nozzle and disrupt the 5 laminar water flow jet so that it is illuminated in a controlled manner by electronically controlled LEDs, and also to remove air bubbles and other particles from the nozzle.

2. A plurality of devices as claimed in claim 1 placed close to each other to create a display from a plurality of laminar flow streams. 07/10/2020