Sonic Shower

[searchingfortruth]

In all different kinds of Sci-Fi we see or read about people taking sonic showers. They would be amazing, just step in, hit a button, and 5 seconds later you are clean. Imagine how much water we would save. The only problem is, how would somebody go about creating one? Any Ideas?

[Tres Juicy]

In all different kinds of Sci-Fi we see or read about people taking sonic showers. They would be amazing, just step in, hit a button, and 5 seconds later you are clean. Imagine how much water we would save. The only problem is, how would somebody go about creating one? Any Ideas?

 

 

I think you'd be more likely to come out deaf than clean

[Xittenn]

In all different kinds of Sci-Fi we see or read about people taking sonic showers. They would be amazing, just step in, hit a button, and 5 seconds later you are clean. Imagine how much water we would save. The only problem is, how would somebody go about creating one? Any Ideas?

 

I missed that episode! :/

 

 

Sonic cleaners that are in present use operate within a liquid, and clean by the action of cavitation created by the waves.

 

 

I think you'd be more likely to come out deaf than clean

 

 

The airborne SPL required to disrupt the structure of dirt deposits as well as to decompose the unwanted oils on the human epidermis, would probably disrupt the humans more vital functions as well.

[Phi for All]

So dirt gets vibrated off your body? You'd probably have to stand a bit differently in a sonic shower. Is it supposed to hit you from every angle, all at once? I think it would feel pretty funny until you got used to it. My wife would probably hate the tickling it would be bound to generate.

 

How do I clean my ears in a sonic shower?

[Xittenn]

I would think you would have transducers placed throughout the shower. The energy economy of such a system might be a driving factor in related research. The efficiency of driving an isolated frequency isn't so bad, as compared to driving a spectrum. And also, correct me if I'm wrong, high frequency transducers tend to have better efficiencies as well. How would this compare to heating and pumping water? I would think there would be a significant difference, even if it melts your skin off.

 

I had once suggested to Maple Leaf Pork the use of Ultrasound in massaging their ham products. The idea would have been to both tenderize the meat, as well as to break down the silver skin prior to butchering. They were already massaging their product through the use of tumbling drums, and it would have only been necessary to introduce the transducers. The point is it can melt you face off . .. . supporting evidence, sort of maybe.

 

Oscar Blandi amongst others, makes a dry shampoo.

[searchingfortruth]

I still say there is a way to do it without our skin melting off. We just have not found the right frequency to do it.

[Xittenn]

I would never suggest to not try, I just think the solution will be somewhat tricky to find. I think it might require an additional activator to complete the process under favourable conditions. It would be interesting to see what research results would produce, but I'm not about to dedicate myself to science as a guinea pig to this experiment.

[InigoMontoya]

Sonic cleaners that are in present use operate within a liquid, and clean by the action of cavitation created by the waves.

And sticking your hand in one can hurt like a mutherFer!

[ewmon]

Perhaps at certain frequencies, standing waves could be produced that would "bounce" water droplets off your skin as they fall to the floor. Within seconds of the water source shutting off, all droplet will have made their way to the floor.

 

Forget the sound ... what about a wet whirlwind with wind speeds at the skin's surface of, let's say, a bit less than 100 mph? I think you'd want to wear goggles, earplugs, nose plugs, etc . Theoretically, most [dirty] water droplets would fly off your body tangentially. If the impinging droplets were small enough, they shouldn't hurt too much.

[Tres Juicy]

If the impinging droplets were small enough, they shouldn't hurt too much.

 

 

Good luck selling it

[michel123456]

In all different kinds of Sci-Fi we see or read about people taking sonic showers. They would be amazing, just step in, hit a button, and 5 seconds later you are clean. Imagine how much water we would save. The only problem is, how would somebody go about creating one? Any Ideas?

 

There are ways to get clean without water.

The most usual is to warm your body so that you sweat, then scratch the dirt (as in oriental hammams).

Instead of scratching, one could imagine some other way, like sudden freezing that will close the skin abruptly and make the dirt fall away.(usually it is a plunge in cold water after a sauna).

Sound does not sound a good idea, unless you want to provoke Parkinson.

[ydoaPs]

Would you build it with a sonic screwdriver?

[ewmon]

Seriously though, has it been tried?

 

Imagine surgeons putting their arms into wide tubes where foamy whirlwinds whisk the germs from their skin in seconds as a partial vacuum draws the germy wetness away, instead of scrubbing and rinsing repeatedly for several minutes.

 

Or torus/rings with high speed soap/foam dispensed from the middle of the torus/ring and a vacuum on both sides of the torus/ring that works opposite of dyson fans. There would be one large one for the hand/arm, and five small ones two feet away for the digits. You'd put your hand through the large one and move it forward to put the digits through the five smaller ones. No skin would touch anything (pads, bristles, etc) that could retain/transfer germs. It would at least look very cool.

[Tres Juicy]

...It would at least look very cool.

 

 

And that's all that matters

[searchingfortruth]

In oriental hammams you don't get clean. you are still drenched in your own sweat, and the sauna and cold water idea wouldn't work either. The point of a sonic shower is a quick and efficient way to clean yourself without water.

There are ways to get clean without water.

The most usual is to warm your body so that you sweat, then scratch the dirt (as in oriental hammams).

Instead of scratching, one could imagine some other way, like sudden freezing that will close the skin abruptly and make the dirt fall away.(usually it is a plunge in cold water after a sauna).

Sound does not sound a good idea, unless you want to provoke Parkinson.

[Xittenn]

Would you build it with a sonic screwdriver?

 

No, but you could weld it together with a sonic welder.

 

 

I think the most probable approach would be, apply a dry soap that binds to the dirt and oil but not to the skin. Upon application of a certain frequency at a certain SPL, the soap resonates and flakes off taking the dirt with it. A follow up jet of warm air could aid in the process of moving the filth from body to disposal, where the dirt could be sucked away to a disposal unit. I would use something like this, if it existed. I enjoy showers, but sometimes when it's just a matter of getting clean they can be quite annoying.

[Tres Juicy]

No, but you could weld it together with a sonic welder.

 

 

I think the most probable approach would be, apply a dry soap that binds to the dirt and oil but not to the skin. Upon application of a certain frequency at a certain SPL, the soap resonates and flakes off taking the dirt with it. A follow up jet of warm air could aid in the process of moving the filth from body to disposal, where the dirt could be sucked away to a disposal unit. I would use something like this, if it existed. I enjoy showers, but sometimes when it's just a matter of getting clean they can be quite annoying.

 

Interesting choice of words....

 

What have you been up to?

[mississippichem]

And sticking your hand in one can hurt like a mutherFer!

 

I second that from experience.

[ewmon]

The point of a sonic shower is a quick and efficient way to clean yourself without water.

1. What about ionizing the particles so they are electrically repulsed from one's skin.
   
2. Or depolarizing particles so our moist skin (with polarized water) will repulse them, then sonic waves (MHz?, GHz?) separates them from the skin and they fall to the ground.
   

[searchingfortruth]

That could work, but we need to look at power consumption too. How much power would something like that take?

• What about ionizing the particles so they are electrically repulsed from one's skin.
• Or depolarizing particles so our moist skin (with polarized water) will repulse them, then sonic waves (MHz?, GHz?) separates them from the skin and they fall to the ground.