Shaoying Qi

US Patent:

20020195334, Dec 26, 2002

Filed:

Aug 20, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/224232

Inventors:

Kent Hay - Mahomet IL, US
Shaoying Qi - Urbana IL, US

International Classification:

C25C001/10
C25B003/00
C25C003/00
C25B001/00
C25C001/00
C25D003/04
C25D017/00
B23H011/00
C25B009/00
C25F007/00
C25C007/00
C25D021/11

US Classification:

204/275100, 204/277000, 204/278000, 205/094000, 205/283000, 205/343000, 205/560000, 205/572000

Abstract:

An autonomous pushed liquid recirculation system (APLRS) is installed in a vessel, such as an electroplating tank. It situates around the interior perimeter and adjusts to changes in the level of liquid, maintaining the same location and orientation respective to the liquid's surface. It establishes a current near the surface that pushes liquid across the narrow horizontal dimension of the tank from a front wall to a rear wall. The current serves to push any bubbles resultant from operations within the tank to the rear wall. Over the rear wall is mounted an abbreviated exhaust hood covering only a short width of the surface of the tank along the rear wall. Because the exhaust system has to scavenge only a portion of the surface since all bubbles now burst along the rear wall, a much smaller air handling apparatus may be specified with an attendant savings in energy costs.