Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Pulsating or a.c. supply
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-12
2003-04-01
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Pulsating or a.c. supply
C315S268000, C315S169300, C313S607000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06541924
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to methods and systems for providing emission of incoherent radiation and uses for therefor.
BACKGROUND ART
Currently, commercial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) lamp sources of incoherent ultraviolet (UV) are inherently low-peak power and are poorly suited to many practical applications Alternative sources of high-peak power UV radiation (laser-based) are comparatively high-cost and not cost-effective for many desired industrial processes. Dielectric barrier discharge lamps used to generate ultraviolet output generally employ electrical excitation schemes based on an AC voltage waveform (50 Hz-200 kHz). Although the UV emitted by the plasma can be generated with high efficiency (~10-20%) and with high average power, the present inventors have realised that the UV output has inherently low-peak power due to the dynamics of the plasma excitation when using AC excitation.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide methods and systems for providing emission of incoherent radiation and uses therefor.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to a first embodiment of this invention there is provided a method of operating a system for providing emission of incoherent radiation, said system comprising an electrically impeded discharge lamp linked to an electrical energy supply, said lamp comprising:
(a) a discharge chamber which is at least partially transparent to said incoherent radiation;
(b) a discharge gas in said chamber;
(c) two electrodes disposed with respect to said chamber for discharging electrical energy there between;
(d) at least one dielectric barrier disposed between said two electrodes to electrically impede electrical energy passing between said two electrodes;
(e) an electrical energy supply capable of providing fast risetime unipolar voltage pulses;
(f) means of electrically linking said electrodes with said supply; said method comprising:
providing a sequence of unipolar voltage pulses from said energy supply to said electrodes and controlling (i) interpulse period, an (ii) pulse risetime, whereby a substantially homogeneous discharge occurs between said two electrodes which causes emission of pulses of incoherent radiation from said lamp.
According to a second embodiment of this invention there is provided a method of operating a system for providing emission of high peak power incoherent radiation, said system comprising an electrically impeded discharge lamp linked to an electrical energy supply, said lamp comprising:
(a) a discharge chamber which is at least partially transparent to said incoherent radiation;
(b) a discharge gas in said chamber;
(c) two electrodes disposed with respect to said chamber for discharging electrical energy there between;
(d) at least one dielectric barrier disposed between said two electrodes to electrically impede electrical energy passing between said two electrodes;
(e) an electrical energy supply capable of providing fast risetime, high peak unipolar voltage pulses;
(f) means of electrically linking said electrodes with said energy supply; said method comprising;
providing a sequence of high peak power unipolar voltage pulses from said energy supply to said electrodes and controlling (i) interpulse period, and (ii) pulse risetime, whereby a substantially homogeneous discharge occurs between said two electrodes which causes emission of incoherent radiation pulses of high peak power from said lamp.
According to a third embodiment of this invention there is provided a system for providing emission of incoherent radiation, said system comprising an electrically impeded discharge lamp linked to an electrical energy supply, said lamp comprising:
(a) a discharge chamber which is at least partially transparent to said incoherent radiation;
(b) a discharge gas in said chamber;
(c) two electrodes disposed with respect to said chamber for discharging electrical energy there between;
(d) at least one dielectric barrier disposed between said two electrodes to electrically impede electrical energy passing between said two electrodes;
(e) an electrical energy supply capable of providing fast risetime unipolar voltage pulses;
(f) means of electrically linking said electrodes with said energy supply;
said energy power supply being capable of providing a sequence of unipolar voltage pulses from said energy supply to said electrodes; and
means to control (i) interpulse period, and (ii) pulse risetime, whereby, in use, a substantially homogeneous discharge occurs between said two electrodes which causes emission of pulses of incoherent radiation from said lamp.
According to a fourth embodiment of this invention there is provided a system for providing emission of high peak power (in watts) incoherent radiation, said system comprising an electrically impeded discharge lamp linked to an electrical energy supply, said lamp comprising:
(a) a discharge chamber which is at least partially transparent to said incoherent radiation;
(b) a discharge gas in said chamber;
(c) two electrodes disposed with respect to said chamber for discharging electrical energy there between;
(d) at least one dielectric barrier disposed between said two electrodes to electrically impede electrical energy passing between said two electrodes;
(e) an electrical energy supply capable of providing fast risetime, high peak unipolar voltage pulses;
(f) means of electrically linking said electrodes with said supply;
said energy supply being capable of providing a sequence of high peak unipolar voltage pulses from said energy supply to said electrodes; and
means to control (i) interpulse period, and (ii) pulse risetime, whereby, in use, a substantially homogeneous discharge occurs between said two electrodes which causes emission of incoherent radiation pulses of high peak power from said lamp.
Other embodiments of the invention include:
(1) a method of releasing contaminants from a surface by irradiating the surface with incoherent radiation pulses generated by a method of the invention, said pulses being of sufficient intensity (W/cm
2
) to release said contaminants from said surface;
(2) a method of modifying a surface by irradiating the surface with incoherent radiation pulses generated by a method of the invention, said pulses being of sufficient intensity to modify said surface;
(3) a method of ablating/etching a material by irradiating the material with incoherent radiation pulses generated by a method of the invention, said pulses being of sufficient intensity to ablate/etch said surface;
(4) a method of pumping a laser active medium by irradiating the active medium with incoherent radiation pulses generated by a method of the invention, said pulses being of sufficient intensity to pump said active medium;
(5) a method of killing micro-organisms and/or bacteria by irradiating the bacteria with incoherent radiation pulses generated by a method of the invention, said pulses being of sufficient intensity to kill said micro-organisms and/or bacteria;
(6) a method of irradiating an object with incoherent radiation pulses generated by a method of the invention, comprising irradiating said object with said pulses;
(7) a method of removing surface contaminants by irradiating the surface with incoherent radiation pulses generated by a method of the invention, comprising irradiating said surface with said pulses using various methods to achieve inert gas flow over the irradiated surface, said pulses being of sufficient intensity to remove said surface contaminants (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,175 for methods to achieve inert gas flow over the irradiated surface);
(8) a method of controlling insects and/or mites by irradiating the insects and/or mites with incoherent radiation pulses generated by a method of the invention, said pulses being of sufficient intensity to kill said insects and/or mites;
(9) a system for releasing contaminants from a surface said system being capable of irradiating the surface with incoherent radiation pulses, said pulses being of sufficient intensity to release said contaminants from said surface;
(1
Carman Robert John
Kane Deborah Maree
Mildren Richard Paul
Alemu Ephrem
Macquarie Research Ltd.
Wong Don
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