Abstract: A water-emulsification apparatus comprising a conduit and, within the conduit, a series of perforated plates of holes of varying shapes or sizes forming means to effect different shearing action on an oil/water mixture and means for pumping the oil/water mixture therethrough. The conduit system is conveniently constructed so that oil-water mixtures of different characteristics can be directed to flow through different sequences of a perforated plates, thereby achieving an emulsion of desired characteristics.

Abstract: A laser which obtains lasing action from gases flowing into and out of a laser cavity is substantially improved by causing the flowing gases to traverse a strongly recirculating flow field. The recirculation of exhaust flow gases into the incoming flow gases, in a controlled recirculation region, leads to substantially uniform distribution of gas composition, chemical and thermodynamic states, pressure, temperature, density and refractive index throughout the cavity. Recirculation flow fields are generated by opposed jets, behind baffles, in swirling flow, in spheres when jet velocities are high and in duct flows where a high momentum, high velocity jet is surrounded by a co-flowing low momentum low velocity stream.