Coating apparatus – Gas or vapor deposition – With treating means
Patent
1998-09-08
2000-04-18
Breneman, Bruce
Coating apparatus
Gas or vapor deposition
With treating means
310 11, 219121PR, H05H 144
Patent
active
060502150
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention concerns a plasma arc stream generator with a closed configuration.
Plasma technology, and in particular devices for creating a stream of closed configuration may be used in surface treatment processes (sterilization, cleaning, etching, modifying, deposit of coatings and films) of monolithic and disperse materials, and for obtaining and treating chemical products, in electronics, the automotive industry, metallurgy, the chemical and food industry, medicine and many other sectors.
This type of device for generating a plasma arc stream of closed configuration with a central zone of uniform or lowered temperature is already known. This device is illustrated in the document entitled <<Basis for execution of a dynamic plasma treatment method for solid surfaces>>, by P. P. Koulik et al, <<Plasmokhimia 1987", Moscow 1987, part 2, pp. 58 to 96.
The abovementioned document describes a device containing two pairs of electrode chambers (cathodes and anodes) connected in pairs to DC power sources. The parameters of the plasma channels of the electrode chambers (cathodes and anodes) correspond to the data published in the document entitled <<Twin-jet plasmatron>>, Genbaiev G. G. and Enguelsht V. S., Frounze 1983.
When the electrode chambers are energized, two arcs are activated and form four plasma jets with the current passing through them. The spatial orientation of the plasma jets is obtained by external magnetic fields directed in relation to the electrode chambers such that the plasma jets from the electrode chambers converge and form a common stream of axially symmetrical plasma, with the current passing through (plasma funnel) whose section, perpendicular to the axis of symmetry of the stream, has a unifrom or lowered temperature zone in relation to the peripheral part of the stream.
It is into this zone that the gaseous, disperse or solid state components are injected via one or more concentric axial channels into the plasma funnel for conversion before use.
The advantage of this known type of plasma generator lies in the special configuration of the plasma stream. In fact, this is in the form of a plasma funnel, enabling the introduction and treatment (processing) by the plasma of different products in different forms (gaseous, liquid or solid), and use of this generator for high performance surface sterilization, cleaning, etching, modifying and also coating with films.
The disadvantage of the generator of the above type is that the plasma stream is always of reduced dimensions, dictated by the diameter of the resultant plasma stream. However, there are numerous applications for which a larger sized plasma stream would be useful, provided of course that the closed configuration of the stream is maintained, as this affords a central zone of uniform or lowered temperature.
The purpose of this invention is to offer a plasma arc stream generator of closed configuration, whose section, perpendicular to the direction of the stream, is elongated in form (plasma curtain) affording a central zone of uniform or lowered temperature.
To this effect, the invention concerns a plasma arc stream generator of closed configuration, comprising electrode chambers working in pairs, each pair having an anode and a cathode and being connected to a DC source, with the current passing through the plasma jets generated, whose spatial orientation is obtained by means of an external magnetic field directed such that the plasma jets from the chambers converge and form a common plasma stream with a central zone of uniform or lowered temperature, the said generator comprising at least three pairs of electrode chambers as above, with the said chambers positioned in relation to each other so that the assembly is symmetrical without, however, the chambers being positioned on the same circle.
According to one embodiment, the generator further comprises one or more magnetic orientation devices (for the jets) outside all the electrode chambers, the generator creating a common plasma stream of closed c
REFERENCES:
patent: 3940641 (1976-02-01), Dooley
patent: 4275287 (1981-06-01), Hiratake
Konavko Rudolph
Koulik Pavel
Saishenko Anatolii
Samsonov Mikhail
Breneman Bruce
Browning Clifford W.
IST Instant Surface Technology S.A.
Zervigon Rudy
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