Patent ID: 9500068
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: B23K,E21B,F17D,G01N,H05B,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for generating a pulsed pressure induced cavitation technique from a pressurized working fluid to simulate the hydrofracturing of a specimen when the working fluid and the specimen are installed in the apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a pump that is fluidly coupled between a reservoir and a control valve, said control valve having an open position and a closed position, said pump capable of raising the pressure of the working fluid at said control valve; a test chamber for holding the installed specimen, said test chamber being fluidly coupled to said control valve and receiving the working fluid from said control valve when said control valve is in the open position; and wherein the control valve includes an outer housing having an upstream end defining both an inlet aperture that is fluidly coupled to the pump and a pressure chamber, the pressure chamber accepting the pressurized working fluid via the inlet aperture, and a downstream end defining a pulse cavity for discharging the pressurized working fluid to a fluidly coupled test chamber, and a medial portion defining a stationary bulkhead disposed between the pressure chamber and the pulse cavity and defining one or more bulkhead apertures that fluidly couple the pressure chamber to the pulse cavity, a rotatable shutter that is disposed inside the pressure chamber and adjacent to the bulkhead, the shutter defining one or more windows and being affixed to a shaft, supported by the bulkhead, and extending through the pressure chamber, the shaft exiting the outer housing through its upstream end, a powering device coupled to the shaft and wherein rotation of the shaft by the powering device causes the windows in the shutter to alternately align and misalign with the one or more bulkhead apertures, causing the pressurized working fluid in the pressure chamber to flow through the apertures in the bulkhead, through the pulse cavity, and into the test chamber as pressure pulses, causing cavitation to occur at the specimen.