Electric lamp or space discharge component or device manufacturi – Process – With start up – flashing or aging
Patent
1989-08-22
1990-11-27
Ramsey, Kenneth J.
Electric lamp or space discharge component or device manufacturi
Process
With start up, flashing or aging
445 62, H01J 942
Patent
active
049732811
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to methods and apparatuses that allow improvement of the performance characteristics of electronic vacuum devices (called vacuum devices in what follows) by preageing them. Advantage may be taken of the invention to improve the dielectric strength and lifetime of vacuum devices as they are manufactured or used.
PRIOR ART
The process of preageing a vacuum device comprises applying to its electrodes voltage pulses sufficient to a breakdown of the gap between said electrodes and, as a result, arc inception between them, passing a current pulse through said gap upon arc inception, and repeating the above operations upon termination of said current pulse and, as a result, cessation of arcing between the electrodes of the vacuum device. The flow through the interelectrode gap of current pulses makes it possible to reduce microinhomogeneities (irregularities and contaminations) at the electrode surface, thus improving the dielectric strength and lifetime of the vacuum device.
Passing a current pulse through the interelectrode gap upon breakdown inception can be carried out by discharging a capacitor previously charged from a breakdown voltage power supply or a separate charge voltage power supply.
Known in the prior art is the method of preageing vacuum device that comprises application to the electrodes of a vacuum device to be aged of a voltage pulse whose height exceeds the breakdown voltage of the gap between said electrodes, which results in arc inception between them. Before arrival at the electrodes of said voltage, a capacitor is charged to a voltage which is higher than the voltage between the electrodes of the vacuum device upon arc inception but lower than said breakdown voltage. Then, upon arc inception between said electrodes, the capacitor is discharged through the gap between them and the above operations are repeated (SU, A, No. 997130). To avoid charging the capacitor to a voltage equal to or higher than the breakdown voltage, the capacitor is disconnected from said electrodes at the instant a voltage pulse having an amplitude higher than the breakdown voltage is applied to them and then the capacitor is connected again to them at the instant the arc strikes between them.
This method is carried into effect using a known apparatus comprising two terminals to connect the electrodes of a vacuum device to be aged thereto, a breakdown voltage power supply connected to said terminals, a capacitor whose one lead is connected with one of said terminals through a diode placed in a cutoff state with respect to the voltage fed from the breakdown power supply to this terminal while the other lead is connected to the other terminal, and a charge voltage power supply connected with the capacitor leads (SU, A, No. 997130). The breakdown voltage power supply applies to the terminals voltage pulses higher then the breakdown voltage of the gap between the electrodes and thus initiates arcing between them. As the capacitor is discharged, upon arc inception between the electrodes, a voltage is applied to them which has the same polarity as the voltage applied from the breakdown voltage power supply and causes the flow of a current pulse between the electrodes. The charge voltage power supply is connected to the capacitor leads so that the polarity of the charge voltage power supply's output terminal is identical with the polarity of that breakdown voltage power supply's output terminal which is connected with the terminal coupled to the capacitor lead which is connected with this output terminal of the charge voltage power supply. The charge voltage power supply serves to charge the capacitor to a voltage higher than the voltage between the electrodes upon arc inception therebetween (which is required to ensure the flow of a current pulse through the interelectrode gap upon breakdown) but lower than said breakdown voltage. The capacitor is charged from the charge voltage power supply in the time interval between the instant the interelectrode arcing ceases and the ins
REFERENCES:
Elektroizolyatsia i razryad v vakuume, 1972-I. N. Slivkov pp. 89-95.
Leningradsky Electrotekhnicksky Institute Svyazi
Ramsey Kenneth J.
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