US3355256A - Adjustable port ring construction - Google Patents

Description

ADJUSTABLE PORT RING CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

1 m 7 2 I 2 m E a V 2 g m c 8 O I 2 0. 8 u A WILLIAM B. HANSEL ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1967 w. B. HANSEL ADJUSTABLE PORT RING CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5. 1964 INVENTOR.

YWILLIAM B. HANSEL B M/ W ATTORNEY W. B. HANSEL Nov. 28, 1967 ADJUSTABLE PORT RING GONSTRUCTiON Filed Dec.

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 8

3O INVENTOR. WILLIAM B. HANSEL ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1967 w. B. HANSEL ADJUSTABLE PORT RING CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Shet 4 Filed Dec.

Fig. /0

6 4 5 All m 5 FM 4 n ll In 4 D 4 r. 9T; S A r a e 5 WILLIAM B. HANSEL ATTOR NEY United States Patent 3,355,256 ADJUSTABLE PORT RING CONSTRUCTION William B. Hansel, Media, Pa., assignor to Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 415,764 6 Claims. (Cl. 23-284) This invention relates to an adjustable port ring construction for a so-called wave reactor, which latter is a term commonly applied to a chemical reactor wherein certain endothermic chemical reactions may be carried out by subjecting a reactant material to one or more mechanical shock waves; such shock waves produce a high temperature in the reactant material for a very short period of time.

One type of wave reactor which has been devised comprises a straight elongated shock tube rotatably driven about an axis transverse to its length, within a port ring whose longitudinal axis is substantially collinear with the axis of rotation of the tube; by way of example, the axis of rotation of the tube and the longitudinal axis of the ring may be horizontally disposed, so that the tube rotates essentially in a vertical plane. For convenience, the shock tube is embedded in a disc some twelve inches in diameter, for example, which disc is rotated at a high rate of speed about the aforesaid horizontally-disposed axis of rotation, in essentially a vertical plane. A wave reactor of the type just d scribed is disclosed in detail in my copending application, Ser. No. 326,009, filed Nov. 26, 1963, which ripened on June 7, 1966, into Patent No. 3,254,960.

At the present time, although the theory of operation of the wave reactor is fairly well understood, the optimum reactor design criteria, for the various chemical reactions contemplated, have not as yet been fully established. Therefore, a certain amount of experimentation is still necessary to establish these criteria, this experimentation preferably taking the form of operation of the reaction (on a cut and try basis) with different port ring designs. Some of the reactor design criteria above referred to are the number, arcuate lengths, and angular locations of the ports and recesses in the port ring (which communicate with the shock tube as the latter rotates), the number and locations of the pipes (by means of which gases are conveyed to and from the shock tube through the port ring), etc.

Formerly, in order to try different port ring designs in an operating wave reactor, it was necessary to separately machine out each different port ring to be tried, the result of the machining being a permanent, non-adjustable structure. Since the machine-forming of the port ring is quite an expensive and time-consuming operation, it is obviously rather impractical, if not impossible, to experiment with very many different ring designs on this basis.

An object of this invention is to provide a construction whereby any one of a very large number of different polt ring designs may be readily applied to a wave reactor, for experimental purposes.

Another object is to provide an construction for wave reactors.

A further object is to provide an arrangement for per.- forming the foregoing objects in a relatively simple yet effective manner. i

The objects of this invention are accomplished, briefly, in the following manner: A port ring assembly is ,com posed of two ring members which are removably secured together in overlying or sandwiched relation when the assembly is set up for operation in a wave reactor. One of these two rings (which may be termed the holder half of the ring assembly) is provided with a multiplicity (e.g., about 120) of equiangularly-spaced, radially-extending, square-cornered, U-shaped grooves, 'in each of which is adjustable port ring a positioned a closely-fitting piece of square rod or tubing, each piece of rod or tubing being adjustable lengthwise (radially) in its respective groove. In the case of the rods, the respective grooves are closed up, while in the case of the tubes, ports or passages are provided (by the tubes) radially through the ring. The other of the two rings (which may be termed the cover or clamp half of the ring assembly) is essentially planar and is secured by screws to the holder half, in overlying relation thereto, to hold the pieces of rod or tubing in their adjusted positions in their respective grooves. The sandwiched port ring assembly is mounted in the wave reactor by means of suitable supporting cover plates.

A detailed description of the invention follows, taken conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a partial upper face view of the holder half of the ring assembly of the invention, illustrating several square elongated elements in place in their squared grooves;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial upper face view of the clamp or cover half ofthe ring assembly of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section taken on line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a partial top view of the novel port ring assembly, certain portions thereof being broken away;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional of a wave reactor utilizing the port ring assembly of the invention; and

FIG. '10 is a somewhat schematic representation of the holder and clamp sections of the novel port ring assembly, as set up for operation in a wave reactor, part of the clamp section being cut away.

The port ring assembly of this invention is capable of being used as a substitute for the port ring-and-manifold combination described in my aforementioned application, in the wave reactor described in such application. In such use, the port ring assembly closely surrounds a rotating disc (rotating essentially in a vertical plane, about a horizontal axis) which diametrically carries a shock tube, so that the ends of the tube pass closely adjacent the ports contained in the port ring. The port ring assembly is mounted with its longitudinal axis extending substantially horizontally.

Now refer to FIGS. l-4. The holder half or holder section 1 of the port ring assembly is formed from a suitable metal and is toroidal or ring-shaped, with an inner diameter of say twelve inches (such as to closely surround the disc previously referred to) and an outer diameter of say nineteen inches. In FIG. 1, only a little over (of the full 360 circumference of the ring) is shown, since the element is of symmetrical construction. A multiplicity (to be exact, about in number) of equiangularly-spaced (spaced 3 apart, center-to-center, around the circumference), radiallyextending, squarecornered, U-shaped grooves '2 are cut into the upper face of ring 1. These grooves may be (by way of example) about inch wide by A inch deep, and they extend from the outer edge of ring 1 to a point spaced /2 inch radially outwardly from the inner edge of this ring; thus, the grooves have a length of about three inches. As shown .in FIG. 2, the material of the annular area between the inner ends of the grooves 2 and the inner edge of ring 1 is .cut away to the depth of the grooves, so that an elongated member positioned in any one of the grooves may be moved lengthwise in .its groove, beyond the radially inner end of the groove, to a point aligned with the inner edge of ring 1 The grooves 2 are adapted to receive therein respective elongated radially-extending members; when the port ring assembly is set up for operation as a part of a wave reactor, there will be a member positioned within each and every one of the grooves. To illustrate the possibilities, four of these members are depicted in FIG. 1. See also FIG. 4. The elongated radially-extending members can be either pieces of ;-inch square brass rod, as at 3 and 3', or pieces of .3l3-inch square tubing, as at 4 and 4. If a port or passageway (extending radially through the ring 1) is desired at a certain angular location, a piece of tubing such as 4 or 4' would be positioned within the proper groove 2, while at those angular locations where ports are not desired, pieces of solid rod such as 3 or 3 would be positioned within the grooves. When the ring section 1 is ready for final assembly in the port ring, there will be either a piece of tubing or a solid rod in each of the grooves 2. The outer surfaces of the rods and tubes fit very closely within the grooves, so as to seal the rods or tubes within their respective grooves.

Each of the elongated members (which are positioned within the respective grooves) is capable of being placed (and thereafter clamped) in either an inserted or a retracted position, as desired; that is to say, each piece of rod or tubing is adjustable lengthwise (radially) in its respective groove to one position or the other. These two positions are illustrated in FIG. 1. The rod 3 is in the inserted position, wherein its inner end is aligned with the radially-inner edge of ring 1, while the rod 3 is in the retracted position, wherein its inner end is withdrawn so as to be in alignment with the radially-inner end of the groove 2. Similarly, tubing 4 is in the retracted position, while tubing 4 is in the inserted position. It may be seen that this radial adjustability of the elongated members in the grooves provides for additional flexibility. That is to say, any number of adjacent members may be placed in the retracted position, thereby to provide a continuous recess or pocket of any desired angular length at the inner edge of the port ring, and at any desired angular location. Such a recess or pocket is illustrated at 5 in FIGS. 8 and 10.

Wave reactors employing recesses or pockets are shown in copending applications Ser. Nos. 349,884 and 350,463, filed Mar. 6, 1964, and Mar. 9, 1964, respectively, now Patents 3,262,757 and 3,272,598, respectively.

It is desired to again be pointed out that, when the port ring assembly of this invention is finally assembled, an elongated member (to wit, either a rod such as 3, or a tube such as 4) is positioned in each and every one of the grooves 2. However, to simplify the illustration, only four of these members are shown in FIG. 1. By appropriate selection of the type of elongated member (either a rod or a tube) for each particular groove, any desired number of ports, extending radially through the ring, may be provided, and at any desired angular location, the angular location being limited only by the 3 angular spacing between adjacent ones of the grooves 2. As previously described, to provide a port at a particular location, a tube would be selected as the elongated member for this location, and for the other locations a solid rod would be selected as the elongated member. By appropriate radial positioning of the elongated members in the grooves, any desired number of recesses or pockets may be provided in the port ring, these being at any desired angular location, and of any desired angular length. Thus, it may be seen that the port ring arrangement of this invention provides the ultimate in flexibility.

In order to enable the connection of a pipe of circular cross-section to the outer ends of the tubing pices, a short piece of round tubing 6 (for example /2-inch O.D. thinwalled tubing) is secured to one end of each of the pieces of square tubing such as 4 and 4'. The tubing pieces 6 are secured by welding or silver soldering, as at 7, to the radially-outer ends of the respective square tubing pieces. By way of example, the circular tubing pieces 6 may be 1 /2 inches in length, while the square tubing pieces 4 and 4 (as well as the solid pieces 3 and 3) may be five inches in length.

As previously stated, the grooves 2 are 3 apart; these grooves are provided throughout the entire 360 circumference of the ring, with the exception of a limited area at each end of a horizontally-extending diameter, as will presently be described. Thus, the grooves are approximately in number.

A pair of diametrically-opposite cavities 8 (one of which is shown in FIG. 1) are cut into the upper face of ring 1, one cavity 8 at each respective end of a horizontally-extending diameter of the ring, for reception of respective nozzle assemblies 9 (see FIG. 8). Cavities 8 at their wider portions have an angular Width equivalent to several of the grooves 2, and a depth somewhat greater than the depth of these grooves, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Cavities 8 are wider (referring to the angular width in FIG. 1) at their radially-inner ends, and have a total radial length equal to the radial width of ring 1; that is to say, they extend in a radial direction entirely through the (radial) width of ring 1. The radial length of the wider portion of each cavity is about /3 of its total length, and the narrow portion of each cavity 8 is centered on the horizontal diameter of ring 1.

As shown in FIG. 8, each nozzle assembly 9 has an enlarged inner end which is positioned in the wider portion of the respective cavity 8. Such enlarged inner end comprises a housing 10 formed at the inner end of a short length of pipe 11, and a cover plate 12 secured to the inner end of housing 10. The inner face of plate 12 has a curvature which matches the curvature of the inner face of ring 1, and has a restricted nozzle opening 13 therethrough which communicates with the terminal chamber 14 provided by housing 10; the bore of pipe 11 also communicates with chamber 14, at the side thereof opposite to opening 13.

The outer end of the pipe 11 is secured (as by welding) to the inner end of a conduit 15 which is connected to a suitable source of pressured driver gas, such as hydrogen. As the shock tube (not shown), which rotates within ring 1, comes into alignment with the diametrically-opposite openings 13, shock Waves are created in such tube, as explained in the aforementioned copendin-g applications.

In order to secure the nozzle assemblies 9 in position in their respective cavities 8, bolted flanges such as 16 are utilized. Each bolt 17 passes through the flange 16 and also through a plug 13 positioned in the outer end of one of the grooves 2, and threads into a plug 19 also positioned in said one groove. The outer end of plug 19 and the inner end of plug 18 have matching conical surfaces which cause plug 19 to firmly engage the walls of groove 2 as bolt 17 is tightened.

A difierential screw arrangement, utilizing a nut 20 which engages threads provided on flange 16 and also threads provided on conduit 15, serves to secure the flange and conduit together, and also to provide a limited radial movement of the conduit (and also of the nozzle opening 13) with respect to the fixed flange 16. This dilferential screw arrangement, which enables each nozzle opening 13 to be adjusted radially within its respective cavity 8 over a small range, is disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Ser. No. 334,523, filed Dec. 30, 1963, which ripened on Aug. 2, 1966 into Patent No. 3,263,645.

In order to provide for the possibility of sampling the contents of the shock tube as the latter rotates within the port ring, one or more sampling-type elongated members may be provided, for utilization in any selected one of the grooves 2; by insertion of such a member in any selected groove, instead of a rod 3 or a tube 4, the sampling may be made to occur at any desired angular location around the ring 1, and thus at any desired point in the cycle of operation of the wave reactor. In FIG. 8, a sampling-type elongated member is illustrated at 21, in position in one of the grooves 2. A sampling member 21 may be made from one of the pieces of tubing 4 by swaging down two opposite sides of the square tubing, at the inner end thereof, to provide a chisel-like end 22, in which there is a long,

narrow entrance slot which communicates with the square bore of the tubing. Such a slot is very narrow in one direction, but extends the full width of the original tubing bore in the other direction. The sampling member 21 may be positioned in its groove 2 in either of two respective senses, to wit, one wherein the narrow dimension of the entrance slot is in the direction of rotation of the shock tube (this is the sense illustrated in FIG. 8), or one wherein the narrow dimension of the entrance slot is in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 8. The sampling member 21 is positioned in the inserted position in its groove 2, so that its entrance slot is aligned with the radially-inner edge of ring 1.

A pipe 23, whose diameter may for example be the same as that of conduit 15, may be fastened to the outer end of the sampling member 21, and the sampling member 21 may then for convenience be mounted in the selected one of grooves 2 by means of a mechanical mounting arrangement exactly similar to that previously described (at 16-19) for securing the nozzle assembly 9 in position in its cavity. The sample pipe 23 may be coupled at 24 to another pipe 25 extending to a suitable sample-collecting device or chamber 26 (FIG. 10).

An annular groove 26, for the accommodation therein of an O-ring, is cut into the lower or bottom face of ring 1, near the inner edge thereof.

Twelve equally-spaced tapped holes 27 are provided in ring 1 near the outer edge thereof, these holes being centered for example on a 18 /2-inch diameter base circle and the center lines of the holes being parallel to the ring axis. Holes 27 are located between the grooves 2, these holes then passing through certain of the walls separating adjacent grooves.

Twenty larger-diameter tapped holes 28 are provided in the main (ungrooved) body portion of ring 1 near the inner edge thereof, these holes being centered for example on a 13 /2-inch diameter base circle and the center lines of the holes being parallel to the ring axis.

The holder half of the port ring assembly (which has been referred to for brevity as ring 1) has previously been described. There will now be described the cover or clamp half of the port ring assembly, which may also be thought of as the cover or clamp section of the port ring assembly. The clamp half of the port ring assembly functions to clamp the various elongated members 3, 3', 4, 4, etc. in position in their respective grooves 2, as well as to cover the open tops of all of grooves 2 and the open tops of the cavities 8. When the port ring assembly of this invention is ready for final assembly there is an elongated member of one type or another (that is to say, either a square rod 3, a square tube 4, or a sampling member 21) in each and every one of the grooves 2, and there is a nozzle assembly 9 in each of the two diametrically-opposite cavities 8.

For convenience, as well as brevity, the clamp half of the port ring assembly may occasionally be referred to hereafter as a ring.

Now refer to FIG. 5. The clamp or cover half 29 of the port ring assembly is formed from a suitable metal and is toroidal or ring-shaped, with inner and outer diameters equal to those of the holder half 1. In FIG. 5, only a little over 90 (of the full 360 circumference of the ring 29) is shown, since the element is of symmetrical construction.

A pair of diametrically-opposite cavities 30 (one of which is shown in FIG. are cut into the lower face of ring 29, one cavity 3d at each respective end of a horizontally-extending diameter of the ring. Cavities 30 have exactly the same configuration as cavities 8 in ring 1, and (when ring 29 is secured in face-to-face overlying relation to ring it to form a sandwich) receive therein the upper ends of the respective nozzle assemblies 9, which upper ends extend above the plane of the upper surfaces of the walls between grooves 2. Cavities 30 each have a depth (see FIG. 7) such as to permit (Without any interference of this invention. For convenience in illustration,

from the nozzle assemblies 2) the lower face of ring 29 to be brought down snugly onto the upper surfaces of the walls (dividers) separating grooves 2.

Twelve equally-spaced clearance holes 31 are drilled in ring 29 near the outer edge thereof, these holes being aligned with the respective tapped holes 27 in ring 1 when ring 29 is brought into overlying relation with ring 1, as illustrated in FIG. 9.

Twenty larger-diameter tapped holes 32 are provided in ring 29 near the inner edge thereof, these latter holes corresponding more or less to the respective tapped holes 28 in ring 1 when ring 29 is brought into overlying relation with ring 1 (see FIG. 9).

An annular groove 33, for the accommodation therein of an O-ring, is cut into the upper (i.e., outer) face of ring 29, near the inner edge thereof. An annular groove 34, for the accommodation therein of an O-ring, is cut into the lower (i.e., inner) face of ring 29, near the outer edge thereof.

Refer now to FIG. 9, which is a partial sectional view illustrating a wave reactor utilizing the port ring assembly no elongated member is shown in groove 2; however, it is desired to be pointed out that when the port ring assembly is assembled, an elongated member (of any one of the three kinds described previously) would of course be placed in each one of the multiplicity of grooves 2.

After the desired porting arrangement has been formed in the holder ring 1 by means of the radially-adjustable square rods 3 or square tubes 4 (or sampling members 21) in grooves 2, an O-ring 35 is placed in groove 34 of clamp ring 29. Then, a port ring sandwich assembly is formed by bringing clamp ring 29 into overlying face-toface relationship with holder ring 1, the lower or inner face of clamp or cover ring 29 engaging the upper face of holder ring 1 (said upper face being provided principally by the upper faces of the dividers which separate grooves 2 in ring 1). The O-ring 35 provides an annular sealing area between clamp ring 29 and holder ring 1, near the radially-outer edge of the port ring assembly. Machine screws 36, which pass through the clearance holes 31 in clamp ring 29 and thread into the tapped holes 27 in holder ring 1, hold the two halves of the port ring assembly together and bring O-ring 35 into proper scaling position.

For use in a wave reactor, the port ring assembly 1, 29, etc., described up to this point is mounted to surround a disc assembly 37 which is rotated (during operation of the wave reactor) at a high rate of speed and which carries, diametrically of the disc, a straight elongated shock tube of square cross-section. For example, the port ring assembly 1, 29, etc., according to this invention may be used as a substitute for the port-ring-and-manifold combination described in my copending application Ser. No. 326,009. For a detailed description of the disc assembly 37, reference may be had to my copending application, Ser. No. 329,729, filed Dec. 11, 1963, now Patent No. 3,235,341, granted Feb. 15, 1966. Speaking generally, the aforementioned shock tube extends transversely to the axis of rotation of the disc assembly 37 (and transversely also to the longitudinal axis of the port ring assembly 1, 29, etc.), and as the disc assembly rotates in essentially a vertical plane, the ends of the shock tube carried by the disc pass by the radially-inner ends of the grooves 2.

After a suitable O-ring 39 has been placed in groove 26 of ring 1, a rear cover plate 38, which is more or less disc-shaped, is secured to the lower (i.e., outer or rear) face of ring 1 by means of bolts 40 which pass through a circular array of clearance holes provided in the cover plate and thread into the tapped holes 28 in ring 1. The O-ring 39 provides an annular sealing area between holder ring 1 and cover plate 33, near the radially-inner edge of the port ring assembly 1, 29, etc., and inside the circle of bolts 40. The cover plate 38 may correspond to the cover plate 80 of my aforementioned application Ser. No. 326,- 009, and the driving means for the disc assembly 37 may for example be arranged as deescribed in the said application.

After a suitable O-ring 41 has been placed in groove 33 of ring 29, a front cover plate 42, which is more or less disc-shaped, is secured to the upper (or outer) face of ring 29 by means of bolts 43 which pass through a circular array of clearance holes provided in the cover plate and thread into the tapped holes 32 in ring 29. The O- ring provides an annular sealing area between clamp ring 29 and cover plate 42, near the radially-inner edge of the port ring assembly 1, 29, etc., and inside the circle of bolts 43. The cover plate 42 may correspond to the cover plate 91 of my previously-mentioned application Ser. No. 326,009, and the inspection windows for the shock tube may for example be arranged in cover plate 42 as described in the said prior application.

Now refer to FIG. 10, which is a somewhat schematic representation of the holder section 1 of the port ring assembly of this invention, as it might be (typically) set up for operation in a wave reactor. For convenience in illustration, the diametrically-opposite driver gas conduits 15 and nozzle openings 13 are illustrated as centered on a vertical diameter of the ring 1; in an actual wave reactor, these items would be centered on a horizontal diameter of the ring.

In diametrically-opposite angular regions of the ring 1 just beyond (in the direction of rotation of the disc and shock tube, which as indicated is clockwise in FIG. 10) each of the driver gas nozzle openings 13, there are provided two diametrically-opposite sets of ports in the ring for removal, by expansion, of the driver gas; these ports are provided, according to this invention, by utilizing pieces of square tubing such as 4 in inserted position in the appropriate grooves 2. These ports (tubes) for expansion of the driver gas may each cover an angle a from the driver gas nozzle openings 13, and the expansion may for example take place in three separate stages. The first group of expansion ports (on each side of the ring 1) is coupled together by means of a first manifold 44, the second group of expansion ports (on each side of the ring) is coupled together by means of a second manifold 45, and the third group of expansion ports (on each side of the ring) is coupled together by means of a third manifold 46. Thus, the manifolds 44, 45, and 46 rep-resent respectively the three separate stages of driver gas expansion.

At the upper side of the ring, a group of rods such as 3 are placed in respective grooves 2 in the inserted position throughout the angle b to provide in etiect a solid wall for the ring over this angle b, which immediately adjoins the upper angle a in the direction of rotation of the disc.

Just clockwise of angle [1, a group of elongated members such as 3' and 4 are placed in respective grooves 2 in the retracted position throughout the angle to provide a continuous recess or pocket 5 at the inner edge of ring 1. Within this angle c, certain of the elongated members are pieces of tubing such as 4 (to which the round tubing 6 is connected, as previously described) which are used for removal of product from the reactor; the remainder of the elongated members within angle 0 are rods such as 3', with the exception of a sampling member 21 which is illustrated as included within the angle c.

Just clockwise of angle 0, a group of rods such as 3 are placed in respective grooves 2 in the inserted position throughout the angle d to provide in effect a solid wall for the ring 1 over this angle d; the lower driver gas nozzle opening 13 is just clockwise of angle d.

At the lower side of the ring, a group of rods such as 3 are placed in respective grooves 2 in the inserted position throughout the angle e to provide in effect a solid wall for the ring over this angle e, which immediately 3 adjoins the lower angle a in the direction of rotation of the disc. Angle e is smaller than angle b.

Just clockwise of angle e, a group of elongated members such as 3' and 4 are placed in respective grooves in the retracted position throughout the angle f to provide a continuous recess or pocket 5 at the inner edge of ring 1. Angle is larger than angle 0. Within this angle f, certain of the elongated members are pieces of tubing such as 4 (to which the round tubing 6 is connected, as previously described) which are used for feeding of the process gas or reactant material to the reactor; the remainder of the elongated members within angle 1 are rods such as 3.

Just clockwise of angle 1, a group of rods such as 3 are placed in grooves 2 in the inserted position throughout the angle g to provide in effect a solid wall for the ring 1 over this angle g; the upper driver gas nozzle opening 13 is just clockwise of angle g. Angle g is smaller than angle d.

The action which may occur during one complete revolution of the disc assembly 37, which assembly includes the aforementioned shock tube, will now be described. This description corresponds more or less to that contained in my application Ser. No. 326,009.

As one end of the shock tube carried by the disc (which is rotating in the clockwise direction within the port ring assembly, as indicated by the legended arrow in FIG. 10) comes into communication with recess 5 (by rotating past the counterclockwise end of this recess), process gas begins to fiow into this end of the tube, since said recess is coupled (by means of tubes 6, and the square tubing pieces within the port ring grooves) to a source of process gas. This flow or feed of process gas continues throughout the travel of said one end of the shock tube through the angle 1.

Now back-tracking, as rotation of the shock tube continues beyond a small initial portion of angle f, the other end of the tube rotates past the counterclockwise end of recess 5. Discharging of product gases from a previous cycle of operation commences via the square tubing pieces included in this recess, and via the tubes 6, a flushing action being produced by the continued intake of process gas, as said one end of the shock tube continues to rotate past recess 5. The discharge or exhaust takes place, of course, via the said other end of the shock tube. This discharging or exhaust continues as said other end of the tube rotates past recess 5, until this other end passes the clockwise end of the recess. When the said other end of the shock tube passes the sampling element 21, a sample is taken from a certain portion of the area of said other end of the tube, and is fed to sample chamber 26.

After the said other end of the shock tube has passed the clockwise end of recess 5, the exhaust ceases, but reactant material (process gas) continues to be fed into said one end of the tube as this one end passes through the remaining portion of angle Said one end of the shock tube thereafter (to wit, after passing through angle g) comes into sudden communication with the upper nozzle opening 13, and at this same instant said other end of the tube comes into sudden communication with the lower nozzle opening 13. Both ends of the shock tube are thus suddenly connected to the reservoir of high pressure driver gas. Two shock waves are thereby created, as described in detail in the above-mentioned application Ser. No. 326,009. The process gas in the shock tube is thereby compressed and brought very rapidly to the reaction temperature. The adiabatic compression process is completed by the time the ends of the tube have completed their travel past the nozzle openings 13.

Said one end of the shock tube thereafter comes into communication with the first of the upper tubes which provide expansion ports (for removal of the driver gas by expansion), and simultaneously said other end of the tube comes into communication with the first of the lower tubes which provide expansion ports. As said one end of the tube travels through the upper angle a, three expansion processes take place, as described in my application Ser. No. 326,009, and as said other end of the tube travels simultaneously through the lower angle a, three similar expansion processes take place, utilizing manifolds 44, 45, and 46 respectively, with the result that by the end of the three expansion processes (i.e., when travel through the angle a is completed), substantially all the driver gas has left the shock tube.

Af.er said other end of the shock tube travels through the angle e, which measures a solid wall, it comes into communication with recess and process'gas begins to flow into this end of the tube, this flow continuing to take place throughout the travel of said other end of the tube past the said recess. Shortly after the beginning of this intake into said other end of the tube, said one end of the tube (after it has traveled through the angle b) travels past the counterclockwise end of recess 5. Discharging of product gases again commences via the tubes coupled to recess 5, a flushing action again being produced by the continued intake of process gas as said other end of the tube continues to rotate past recess 5'. The discharge or exhaust now takes place vie said one end of the shock tube. Discharge and flushing continues as said one end of the tube rotates past recess 5, until this one end passes the clockwise end of this recess. During the travel of said one end of the shock tube through angle 0, it comes opposite sampling member 21, and a sample is taken. Feed of process gas into said other end of the tube continues after the cessation of exhaust from said one tube end, until said other tube end passes the clockwise end of recess 5'.

Said one end of the shock tube, after it has traveled through the angle d, comes into sudden communication with the lower nozzle opening 13, and at this same instant said other end of the tube (having traveled through the angle g) comes into sudden communication with the up per nozzle opening 13. Two shock waves are again created, bringing the process gas in the tube rapidly to the reaction temperature.

Said one end of the tube thereafter comes into communication with the first of the lower tubes which provide expansion ports, and simultaneously said other end of the tube comes into communication with the first of the upper tubes which provide expansion ports. As said one end of the tube travels through the lower angle a, three expansion processes take place as before, and three similar expansion processes take place as said other end of the tube travels through the upper angle a. At the end of the third expansion process, substantially all the driver gas has left the shock tube.

Thereafter, said one end of the shock tube travels through the angle e to reach the counterclockwise end of recess 5, and somewhat later, said other end of the tube (having traveled through the angle [2) reaches the counterclockwise end of recess 5. The shock tube (carried by the disc) has now rotated through 360, and the action previously described begins to repeat as said one end of the tube again comes into communication with recess 5'. It may be seen that there are actually two intake and two exhaust cycles, and two compression cycles and two expansion cycles, during each 360 of rotation (i.e., during each complete revolution) of the shock tube.

The angles a, [1, etc. (FIG. 10) can be any multiple of 3 with standard inserts, that is, with the standard groove-mounted square tubes or square rods previously described, since the grooves 2 are 3 apart. Special inserts may be utilized in the port ring assembly to make these angles of some other value, if desired. Such inserts, if utilized, would be positioned within the (annular) space between the radially-inner end of the grooves 2 and the radially-inner edge of ring I.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a wave reactor utilizing a straight elongated shock tube rotatably driven about an axis transverse to its length within a port ring whose longitudinal axis is substantially collinear with the axis of rotation of said tubezan improved port ring assembly comprising a ring-shaped holder having a plurality of radially-extending grooves therein; a plurality of elongated members one of which is removably positioned in each respective one of said grooves, said members being alternatively of either tubular or solid construction; and a ring-shaped cover detachably secured to said holder to retain said members in position in the grooves while allowing, when said cover is detached from said holder, a change in the distribution of said members in said grooves.

2. Port ring assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said members may be adjusted longitudinally in its groove to a desired position, prior to the securing of said cover to said holder.

3. Port ring assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the tubular members has a reduced cross-section at its radially-inner end.

4. Port ring assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said grooves are substantially U-shaped but with square corners.

5. Port ring assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cross-section of each of said members is substantially square in outer configuration.

6. Port ring assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said grooves are substantially U-shaped but with square corners, and wherein the cross-section of each of said members is substantially square in outer configuration.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,254,960 6/1966 Hansel 23-252 JOSEPH SCOVRONEK, Acting Primary Examiner. JAMES H. TAYMAN, ]R., Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A WVE REACTO UTILIZING A STRAIGHT ELONGATED SHOCK TUBE ROTATABLE DRIVEN ABOUT AN AXIS TRANSVERSE TO ITS LENGTH WITHIN A PORT RING WHOSE LONGTRITUDINAL AXIS IS SUBSTANTIALLY COLLINEAR WITHTHE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID TUBE: AN IMPROVED PORT RING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A RING-SHAPED HOLDER HAVING APLURALITY OF RADIALLY-EXTENDING GROOVES THEREIN; A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED MEMBERS ONE OF WHICH IS REMOVABLY POSITIONED IN EACH RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID GROOVES, SAID MEMBERS BEING ALTERNATIVELY OF EITHER TUBULAR OR SOLID CONSTRUCTION; AND A RING-SHAPED COVER DETACHABLY SECURED TO SAID HOLDER TO RETAIN SAID MEMBERS IN POSITION IN THE GROOVEDS HWILE ALLOWING, WHEN SAID COVER IS DETACHED FROM SAID HOLDER, A CHANGE IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAID MEMBERS IN SAID GROOVES.

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