Several months back, I had my machinist build a very small Griggs device for use in my work. Hydrosonics only sells really large industrial size machines, or I would have just bought one. I was interested in heating certain monomers and oligomers in an "instant hot water" method.
My idea was to heat these fluids without their being exposed to a hot surface, which often initiates unwanted polymerization. The Griggs device is supposed to work in such a way as to heat the liquids from the inside out. For boilers this is said to avoid the typical scale buildup. I eventually abandoned this idea, having found an easier, simpler way to solve the problem. However, I discovered something that I don't seem to find any reference to anywhere. Perhaps I don't know where to look. Liquids with a high Kerr constant appear to heat up much more quickly and efficiently than say, water. Water, while polar, has a relatively low Kerr constant. Nitrobenzene, on the other hand has a very high Kerr constant and heats up very fast, with a relatively low energy input. Don't try this at home, folks, nitrobenzen is very poisonous. I have no formal calorimetry on this as yet, but the difference is so dramatic that the calorimetry should be relatively simple and decisive. My point is this. If the Griggs device is even slightly O/U with water, then with the right liquid it might somehow made to put out useful energy. Anyone know where I might find more info? M. _______________________________________________ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!
