EP1455556A1 - UV-Generator und Verfahren dazu - Google Patents

UV-Generator und Verfahren dazu Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1455556A1
EP1455556A1 EP04290581A EP04290581A EP1455556A1 EP 1455556 A1 EP1455556 A1 EP 1455556A1 EP 04290581 A EP04290581 A EP 04290581A EP 04290581 A EP04290581 A EP 04290581A EP 1455556 A1 EP1455556 A1 EP 1455556A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tube
equal
current pulse
pulse
flash
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP04290581A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Georges Safraoui
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Eurofeedback SA
Original Assignee
Eurofeedback SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Eurofeedback SA filed Critical Eurofeedback SA
Publication of EP1455556A1 publication Critical patent/EP1455556A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/14—Circuit arrangements
    • H05B41/30—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by pulses, e.g. flash lamp

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to UVC generators for applications decontamination and polymerization of resins, among others.
  • UVC we mean the ultraviolet whose wavelength is less than 290 nm.
  • the present invention aims to generate UVC with a yield relatively high, reliably and economically.
  • the object of the invention is therefore, according to one of its aspects among others, a method for generating UVC, this method being able to be characterized by the fact that a current pulse is sent into a flash tube.
  • dI / dt greater than 50 A / ⁇ s and by the fact that a tube is used whose internal diameter is large enough to have the desired service life.
  • dI / dt greater than 50 A / ⁇ s it should be understood that between 0.3 I max and 0.6 I max , we have a dI / dt greater than 50 A / ⁇ s.
  • dI / dt is greater than or equal to 100 A / ⁇ s, more preferably greater than 125 A / ⁇ s and better still greater than or equal to 150 A / ⁇ s.
  • the high dI / dt at the establishment of the high current in the tube makes it possible to exploit the kinetics of expansion of the plasma in the tube and to take advantage of the fact that at the beginning of the phase of expansion of the plasma in the tube , the section of this plasma is momentarily small so that the current density can be high there, being for example greater than or equal to 5000 A / cm 2 , or even greater than or equal to 10000 A / cm 2 , which allows obtain a high UVC emission.
  • the current pulse in the tube can be relatively short, for example of duration less than or equal to 100 ⁇ s, in particular less than or equal to 50 ⁇ s, this which makes it possible to limit the energy sent into the tube and to benefit from an acceptable lifetime for users, in particular a lifetime greater than 10 6 , or even 10 8 flashes.
  • pulse duration less than or equal to 100 ⁇ s it should be understood that the duration between the moment when the current is greater than 0.3 I max during the rise of the current and that when it becomes less than 0.3 I max after reaching I max , is less than 100 ⁇ s.
  • the inner diameter of the tube is greater than or equal to 8 mm, this which allows a lifetime compatible with industrial applications of process.
  • the tube is filled with a rare gas, preferably xenon.
  • Gas pressure at rest in the tube is preferably greater than or equal to 500 torr, a high pressure being favorable to the emission of UVC with a high yield.
  • the tube can be air-cooled or preferably by circulation of a liquid, especially water.
  • the frequency of the flashes can be higher than 5 Hz, for example.
  • the tube can be supported by at least one elastically element deformable, preferably by two elastically deformable elements, which can, if necessary, be used to obtain a seal around the tube in the case of a cooling of it by a liquid.
  • the tube is supported by two elastically elements deformable associated respectively with the two electrodes and each located substantially at plumb with the center of gravity of the corresponding electrode, for example substantially at mid-length of it. This reduces the risk that tube vibrations and electrodes during operation of the device do not damage it.
  • the generator may include an ignition transformer having at most two turns in primary. This low number of turns makes it possible to have in series with the tube a low value saturable choke, made with a magnetic material with hysteresis cycle square, allowing on the one hand a sufficiently rapid establishment of the current, therefore a high dI / dt, and secondly providing assistance in switching the switch (s) power electronics used to send the current pulse into the tube.
  • the generator may also include a low arc supply intensity called "simmer", which power supply advantageously has a voltage unladen significantly higher than its loaded voltage, in particular at least five times higher, preferably about ten times higher, to reduce the risk extinction of the tube after a flash.
  • Simmer power supply is a current generator used to hold the conductive tube between two flashes. The frequency of lightning can thus reach relatively high frequencies, for example about several hundreds of Hz.
  • the device may further comprise a first electronic switch controlling the sending of the upper dI / dt pulse at 50 A / ⁇ s a second electronic switch controlled in synchronism with the first to maintain the conductive flash tube by passing a pulse of longer secondary current and less amplitude.
  • the tension applied to the tube during sending of the current pulse is between 5 kV and 15 kV.
  • the current pulse is obtained by discharge into the flash tube of a capacitor whose capacity is between 1 and 100 ⁇ F for example.
  • Another object of the invention is a tube flashes comprising a quartz envelope, a rare gas filling the envelope and two electrodes for generating a plasma inside the envelope.
  • a ring game is formed around each electrode inside the envelope, this play allowing the passage of the rare gas when filling the envelope from one of its ends.
  • the clearance is sufficiently low that at hot the electrode comes into substantial contact with the envelope, which allows a better cooling of the electrode and also reduces the vibrations thereof, which is favorable to the increase in the life of the tube.
  • such a tube After cooling, such a tube can be characterized by the fact that a clearance annular is formed between each of said electrode portions and the envelope, and by the causes an annular notch to form on the outside surface of the nearby tube of each of said portions, the diameter of the envelope being able to be greater between the two electrodes at the level of said portions.
  • Such a method makes it possible to produce the tube so that when hot the electrodes come into substantial contact with the quartz envelope.
  • the present invention finds numerous applications for deodorizing, decontaminate or to polymerize resins, in particular inks.
  • the present invention also relates to a decontamination process which can be characterized by the fact that UVCs are generated by implementing the method defined above.
  • a decontamination process which can be characterized by the fact that UVCs are generated by implementing the method defined above.
  • the power supply 20 is for example a power supply as described in the U.S. Patent 5,768,113.
  • the capacitor 30 can be formed by a single component or by the parallel assembly of several components.
  • the capacitance of the capacitor 30 is for example between 1 and 100 ⁇ F, being chosen as a function of the power of the lightning that we wish to obtain.
  • the ignition device 50 comprises a capacitor 41 of low capacity, the terminals of which are connected respectively to the - of the main power supply 20 and to the output of electronic switch 40, to stabilize the voltage upstream of the device 50 during ignition of the tube 10.
  • the capacity of this capacitor 41 is by example of some nF.
  • the simmer power supply 60 includes a high voltage diode 61, which is used to block the ignition pulse generated by the ignition device 50.
  • the secondary supply 80 includes a voltage source 81, a capacitor 82, an electronic switch 83, for example a thyristor controlled by the control device 70, and a diode 84, the cathode of which is connected to the anode of the high voltage diode 61 of the simmer power supply 60, which makes it possible to use only one single high voltage diode.
  • the tube 10 is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2.
  • This comprises a quartz envelope 11 and two electrodes 12.
  • the interior of the envelope 11 is filled with a rare gas, preferably xenon.
  • the tube 10 is held by a support comprising two integral walls 14 of the generator frame, not shown.
  • Seals 15 made of an elastically deformable material, for example a silicone, are interposed between the casing 11 and the walls 14. These seals 15 are supported on the casing 11 of the tube substantially at the center of gravity of each electrode 12, the distances l 1 and l 2 being substantially equal in the example considered. This makes it possible to prevent the vibrations of the electrode 12, following the shock wave generated by the lightning, from damaging the tube.
  • the ends 17 of the electrodes 12, outside the casing 11 and serving to the electrical connection, are connected to flexible electrical conductors 16.
  • Each electrode 12 has a portion inside the envelope 11 cylindrical 18 whose outside diameter d is close to the inside diameter of envelope 13 at its level.
  • the length l of this cylindrical portion 18 is preferably sufficiently important so that the electrode can evacuate by radiation and / or conduction the amount of heat allowing it not to overheat when generator operation.
  • This length l is for example of the order of 2 cm in the example considered.
  • the annular clearance (d'-d) / 2 existing cold between the portion 18 and the surface interior of the envelope is chosen so that when hot, in operation, the portion 18 comes to be applied substantially against the inner surface of the envelope 11, that is to say with a real contact or by being very close, in order to allow a transfer of relatively high heat, by conduction and / or radiation, towards the envelope 11.
  • the envelope 11 With the value of the ring clearance you can heat the envelope 11 and the electrodes 12 and deform the envelope at its ends so as to bring the quartz into contact with the portions 18 of the electrodes 12. The annular clearance is then formed when the tube cools, and we can observe on the envelope 11 two annular recesses 19 near the portions 18 of the electrodes.
  • the inside diameter of the envelope 11 is equal to d "between the two electrodes 12. This diameter d "is chosen large enough so that the tube has the lifespan sought.
  • the control device 70 controls the emission of a flash, the tube 10 being in simmer mode with a current Is, the electronic switch 40 becomes passing and the capacitor 30 can discharge into the tube 10 through the secondary 51b of the transformer 51.
  • the current can increase rapidly in the tube 10 as illustrated in FIG. 3, with a very large dI / dt between in particular the values 0, 3 I max and 0.6 I max , which allows UVC to be generated with high efficiency. Once the maximum current I max is reached, the UVC emission efficiency decreases.
  • the transformer 51 also makes it possible to delay the establishment of the current during the switching of the electronic switch 40, and therefore limit the losses In this one.
  • the electronic switch 83 is controlled in synchronism with the electronic switch 40 to send a relatively short pulse in the tube long, which is superimposed on that corresponding to the discharge of the capacitor 30.
  • the presence of the long pulse materializes on the curve I (t) by the shape of the curve from the instant t 1 . We have illustrated with dotted lines what would be the decrease of the current in the absence of this long pulse.
  • the secondary supply 80 can be eliminated if one realizes simmer 60 power supply so that the voltage can be raised several times when empty at the terminals of the tube when the latter is primed, for example more than ten times this voltage, which prevents extinction of the tube.
  • the invention finds numerous applications for decontamination and for UV curing of resins, for example inks polymerizable.
  • the invention can in particular be applied to the decontamination of containers, liquids, for example bottled, swimming pool or aquarium water.
  • the invention can also be applied to the deodorization of air or other gases.
  • the flash of visible light can also be emitted in synchronism with UVC emission.
  • the tube 10 can have other forms as well.

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  • Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)
EP04290581A 2003-03-03 2004-03-03 UV-Generator und Verfahren dazu Withdrawn EP1455556A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR0302544A FR2852189B1 (fr) 2003-03-03 2003-03-03 Procede, generateur et tube a eclairs pour generer des uvc
FR0302544 2003-03-03

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1455556A1 true EP1455556A1 (de) 2004-09-08

Family

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Family Applications (1)

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EP04290581A Withdrawn EP1455556A1 (de) 2003-03-03 2004-03-03 UV-Generator und Verfahren dazu

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP1455556A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2852189B1 (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2867347A1 (fr) * 2003-03-03 2005-09-09 Eurofeedback Sa Tube a eclairs
FR2926948A1 (fr) * 2008-01-24 2009-07-31 Univ Paris Sud Etablissement P Generateur de flashs lumineux, spectrometre d'absorption utilisant un tel generateur et procede de generation de flashs lumineux
WO2013041555A1 (fr) * 2011-09-23 2013-03-28 Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (C.N.R.S) Appareil électrique d'amorçage d'une lampe flash, et système électrique de pompage optique comprenant un tel appareil d'amorçage

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2722629A (en) * 1946-06-28 1955-11-01 Kenneth J Germeshausen Electric system
DE2302917A1 (de) * 1973-01-22 1974-07-25 Multiblitz Mannesmann Gmbh Co Blitzleuchtenanordnung
DE4303624A1 (de) * 1993-02-09 1994-08-11 Egberts Gerhard Dr Ing Vorrichtung zur Erzeugung von Vakuum-UV-Licht
US5883471A (en) * 1997-06-20 1999-03-16 Polycom, Inc. Flashlamp pulse shaper and method
US6453145B1 (en) * 1999-11-16 2002-09-17 Minolta Co., Ltd. Flash-based fixing apparatus with flash lamp of stable illumination for electrographic image forming apparatus
US20020149326A1 (en) * 2001-03-01 2002-10-17 Mikhail Inochkin Flashlamp drive circuit

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2722629A (en) * 1946-06-28 1955-11-01 Kenneth J Germeshausen Electric system
DE2302917A1 (de) * 1973-01-22 1974-07-25 Multiblitz Mannesmann Gmbh Co Blitzleuchtenanordnung
DE4303624A1 (de) * 1993-02-09 1994-08-11 Egberts Gerhard Dr Ing Vorrichtung zur Erzeugung von Vakuum-UV-Licht
US5883471A (en) * 1997-06-20 1999-03-16 Polycom, Inc. Flashlamp pulse shaper and method
US6453145B1 (en) * 1999-11-16 2002-09-17 Minolta Co., Ltd. Flash-based fixing apparatus with flash lamp of stable illumination for electrographic image forming apparatus
US20020149326A1 (en) * 2001-03-01 2002-10-17 Mikhail Inochkin Flashlamp drive circuit

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2867347A1 (fr) * 2003-03-03 2005-09-09 Eurofeedback Sa Tube a eclairs
FR2926948A1 (fr) * 2008-01-24 2009-07-31 Univ Paris Sud Etablissement P Generateur de flashs lumineux, spectrometre d'absorption utilisant un tel generateur et procede de generation de flashs lumineux
WO2009095584A1 (fr) * 2008-01-24 2009-08-06 Universite Paris Sud Generateur de flashs lumineux, spectrometre d'absorption comprenant un tel generateur et procede de generation de flashs lumineux
WO2013041555A1 (fr) * 2011-09-23 2013-03-28 Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (C.N.R.S) Appareil électrique d'amorçage d'une lampe flash, et système électrique de pompage optique comprenant un tel appareil d'amorçage
FR2980665A1 (fr) * 2011-09-23 2013-03-29 Centre Nat Rech Scient Appareil electrique d'amorcage d'une lampe flash, et systeme electrique de pompage optique comprenant un tel appareil d'amorcage

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Publication number Publication date
FR2852189A1 (fr) 2004-09-10
FR2852189B1 (fr) 2005-08-05

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