Patent ID: 7354556

Claim:
An apparatus for subjecting a fluid to irradiation by high intensity ultrasound, the apparatus comprising a generally cylindrical vessel, and a multiplicity of ultrasonic transducer means for radiating ultrasonic waves at a frequency above 10 kHz into a fluid in the vessel, said transducer means being attached to an outer wall of the vessel in an array that extends both circumferentially and longitudinally, characterized by the vessel being large enough that each of said multiplicity of ultrasonic transducer means radiates into fluid at least 0.1 m thick, each of said transducer means being connected to a signal generator means for radiating no more than 3 W/cm 2 , each of said transducer means being sufficiently close to each other, and the nunber of said transducer means being sufficiently high, that the power dissipation within said vessel is at least 25 W/liter but no more than 150 W/liter.