KR101133094B1 - Multi channel plasma jet generator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus for the purpose of predetermined treatment by irradiating the plasma jet on the skin or the surface of the object of the human body. The unit plasma jet generating apparatus forming each channel applies a high voltage of alternating current directly to an internal electrode of a metal material inside a gas supply tube, and injects a predetermined gas to emit a plasma jet. Multiple unit plasma jet generators are arranged to form multiple channels, and the same gas is injected into each channel to emit a uniform plasma jet into each channel, or different gases are injected to plasma the surface of a large area. Eject the jet. When the same gas is injected to emit a uniform amount of plasma, a capacitor and a resistor are connected to an internal electrode of each unit plasma jet generator to be driven by one DC-AC inverter power source. When driving a plurality of unit plasma jet generators with a single power source, two methods of applying voltages having the same phase and different voltages may be employed. When the plasma jet is generated in each channel by injecting another gas into some of the multiple channels, a separate power source may be used for the channel into which the other gas is injected for generating an independent plasma jet.

Description

Multi channel plasma jet generator

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a plasma jet generating apparatus, and more particularly, to a multi-channel plasma jet generating a plasma jet used for treating human skin, sterilizing and sterilizing various objects, cleaning a glass surface, and treating a metal or nonmetal surface. It relates to a generating device.

In general, a plasma jet generator is a device in which gas atoms or molecules are separated by cations and electrons between both electrodes when a high frequency or high voltage is supplied to both electrodes. The two electrodes may be installed in a vacuum or in the atmosphere. . The plasma jet generator is applied to semiconductors, PCBs, new material synthesis, surface treatment of polymers, surface treatment of metals, environmental purification, medical devices, food sterilization and disinfection technology, and the field of application thereof is also expanding.

In particular, atmospheric pressure plasma jet generating apparatuses that generate plasma jets by discharge at atmospheric pressure are used for treating human skin, sterilizing and sterilizing various objects, cleaning glass surfaces, and treating metal or nonmetal surfaces. In this case, the action of the plasma jet may include oxidation of the surface by active oxygen, activation of radicals, action of electrons and ions, action of ultraviolet rays, and ozone.

In general, since the atmospheric pressure plasma jet generating apparatus has a diameter of several mm, the emission area of the plasma jet is also small as several mm. As a result, since the area that can be treated with the plasma jet is small, there is a problem that a lot of time is required for treatment or work.

In addition, since plasma jet generation conditions differ depending on the type of gas, the conventional atmospheric pressure plasma jet generating apparatus performs treatment or work by using a plasma jet generated by discharging one type of gas. At this time, since there is a limit to the type of active species of the plasma jet generated by one type of gas, there is a problem in that treatment or work efficiency is lower than that of using various active species. Of course, in order to use various active species, it is good to use a plasma jet generated by discharging a plurality of gases at the same time, but as described above, since the conditions for generating the plasma jet vary depending on the type of gas, one plasma jet is used. It was not possible to discharge many gases at the same time with the generator.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus that can be used for a large area by connecting a plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses with a channel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus capable of uniformly controlling the plasma jet generation amount of each channel.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus which injects two or more kinds of gases to provide a plasma jet having various kinds of active species.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus comprising a plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatus connected to each other at a predetermined interval. Each of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses includes a gas supply tube, an inner electrode, a glass tube, and a ground electrode. The gas supply tube supplies a gas required for plasma jet generation. The inner electrode is tubularly connected at one side to be in communication with one end of the gas supply tube through which the gas is discharged, and the other side connected to the one side is formed to have a smaller width than the one side to supply the gas supplied from the gas supply tube. Pass and high voltage is applied. The glass tube surrounds the inner electrode exposed by the gas supply tube and extends below the bottom of the inner electrode. The ground electrode is formed on an outer surface of the glass tube extending below the lower end of the inner electrode, and discharges the gas passing through the inner electrode by interaction with the inner electrode to generate a plasma jet.

The multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention further includes a power supply unit for applying an alternating voltage of several hundred V to several kV having a frequency of several tens of kHz to several hundred kHz to the internal electrodes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses. .

In the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention, the power supply unit is a switching mode power supply (SMPS) for converting commercial AC power to a voltage of several tens of volts, and a DC voltage of several tens of volts input to the SMPS. It includes a DC-AC inverter to convert to an alternating voltage of several hundred V to several kV having a frequency of several tens kHz to several hundred kHz applied to the internal electrode.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generator according to the present invention, the AC voltage output from the DC-AC inverter may be applied through a capacitor and a resistor respectively connected to internal electrodes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generator according to the present invention, one DC-AC inverter may apply an alternating voltage to the plurality of unit plasma jet generators in parallel.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention, the plurality of DC-AC inverters may be connected to the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses in parallel or in series to apply an AC voltage.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention, another gas may be injected into at least one of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses. In this case, another gas is injected into at least one of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators, and the plurality of DC-AC inverters corresponding to the number of types of gases injected into the plurality of unit plasma jet generators are provided. The two DC-AC inverters may be connected to a unit plasma jet generator in which the same kind of gas is injected.

Alternatively, when even-numbered unit plasma jet generators are connected to the DC-AC inverter, the DC-AC inverter may divide the even-numbered unit plasma jet generators into two groups and apply AC voltages having opposite polarities. .

In the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention, end portions of the glass tubes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses may be formed to face focus points, respectively. In this case, the focus point may be located at a point spaced apart from each other by a glass tube positioned in a central portion of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention, the ends of the glass tubes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses may be further connected to each other, and a connection pipe having a discharge port for discharging the plasma jet below the central portion may be further included. have. In this case, the connection pipes may horizontally connect end portions of the glass tubes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators, or may be inclined toward the discharge port.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention, the inner electrode is joined to the inside of one end of the gas supply tube, and formed integrally with the junction to be formed outside the one end of the gas supply tube and the junction It may be formed to be narrower than the inner diameter of the connecting portion for pressure injection of the incoming gas.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention, the connection part may include a first connection part which is connected to the junction part and the inner diameter thereof becomes narrower downward, and a second connection part which is connected to the first connection part and has a constant internal diameter. have.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention, the glass tube may be bonded to the outer circumferential surface of the second connecting portion.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention, the ground electrode may be formed in an annular shape on the outer surface of the glass tube extending below the lower end of the inner electrode.

The multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention can be used for processing a large area by connecting a plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses in a channel form.

The multi-channel plasma jet generator converts commercial AC power and applies a low frequency AC voltage, for example, AC voltage of several hundred V to several kV having a frequency of several tens of kHz to several hundred kHz, to effectively induce plasma jet generation. Can be. It is possible to control the generation of the uniform plasma jet and the discharge amount of the plasma jet by adjusting the DC voltage applied to the DC-AC inverter to apply the AC voltage to the internal electrode. In particular, since the AC voltage is applied to the unit plasma jet generator of each channel through a capacitor and a resistor, the plasma jet generation amount of the unit plasma jet generator of each channel can be controlled uniformly. That is, because the capacitor and the resistor perform a protection function to prevent the increase in the amount of plasma jet generated and the amount of current suddenly.

Since two or more types of gas can be injected to perform treatment or work by using a plasma jet having various kinds of active species, the treatment or work efficiency is improved compared to using a plasma jet generated by discharging one type of gas. You can. In particular, since the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of AC voltage supply parts capable of applying an appropriate AC voltage according to the type of gas to be injected, an appropriate AC voltage is applied according to the type of gas to be injected. The amount of plasma jets generated in each of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators can be maintained uniformly.

The unit plasma jet generator of each channel has a funnel-shaped inner electrode installed at the end of the gas supply tube to allow gas to pass therethrough, and is grounded to extend below the lower end of the inner electrode on the outer surface of the glass tube surrounding the outer electrode. By forming the electrode, it is possible to smoothly generate a plasma jet by discharging the gas passing through the inner electrode by the interaction of the inner electrode and the ground electrode. In particular, by forming the ground electrode extending below the inner electrode, the plasma jet generated in the glass tube under the inner electrode can be smoothly discharged out of the glass tube.

1 is a view showing a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the unit plasma jet generating apparatus of FIG. 1.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.
4 is a diagram illustrating another example of the internal electrode of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another example in which the internal electrode of FIG. 4 is bonded to a gas supply tube.
6 is a view illustrating another example in which a glass tube is bonded to the internal electrode of FIG. 4.
7 is a diagram illustrating another example in which a high voltage line is connected to the internal electrode of FIG. 4.
8 is a view illustrating another example in which the ground electrode is formed on the glass tube of FIG. 4.
9 is a view showing an experimental example in which the ground electrode is formed on the glass tube.
FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which the ground electrode of FIG. 4 is covered by an insulating protective layer.
11 is a state diagram of use of the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
12 illustrates a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a view showing a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a view showing a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail an embodiment of the present invention.

First embodiment

1 is a view showing a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 10 and a power supply unit 60. The plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10 are installed at a predetermined interval from each other to form a multi-channel. The power supply unit 60 applies low-frequency alternating voltage to the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10, respectively. At this time, the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 10 discharge the gas by using a low-frequency AC voltage applied from the power supply unit 60 to irradiate the plasma jet to the surface. Each unit plasma jet generating device 10 forms a channel.

At this time, the power supply unit 60 converts the applied commercial AC power (100V or 220V of 60Hz) to an alternating voltage of several hundred V to several kV having a frequency of several tens of kHz to several hundred kHz to generate a plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 10. To supply. The power supply unit 60 includes an AC voltage supply unit 65 including a switching mode power supply (SMPS) 61 and a DC-AC inverter 63. The SMPS 61 converts the commercial AC power applied to a DC voltage of several tens of volts. The DC-AC inverter 63 converts a DC voltage of several tens of V inputted to the SMPS 61 into an alternating voltage of several hundred V to several kV having a frequency of several tens of kHz to several hundred kHz. Is applied. In this case, the AC voltage output from the DC-AC inverter 63 is applied through the capacitor C and the resistor R connected to the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10, respectively. At this time, the capacitor (C) and the resistor (R) performs a protection function to prevent the increase in the amount of plasma jet generated by the unit plasma jet generating apparatus 10 and the sudden amount of current. The AC voltage applied to the unit plasma jet generator 10 is adjusted by controlling the DC voltage input from the SMPS 61 to the DC-AC inverter 63 to control the generation amount of the plasma jet.

On the other hand, the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment has been disclosed an example including three unit plasma jet generating apparatus 30, but is not limited thereto. For example, three or more may be linearly linearly coupled or facet-coupled in the horizontal and vertical directions. Surface coupling can also be implemented in various forms such as squares and circles.

The unit plasma jet generator 10 of the multi-channel plasma jet generator 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 as follows. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the unit plasma jet generating apparatus of FIG. 1. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.

The unit plasma jet generator 10 includes a gas supply tube 12, an internal electrode 20, a glass tube 30, and a ground electrode 40. The gas supply tube 12 supplies a gas required for plasma jet generation. The inner electrode 20 is tubularly joined to one end of the gas supply tube 12 through which gas is discharged. The inner electrode 20 is formed to have a narrower width than the other side connected to one side to pass the gas supplied from the gas supply tube 12 and apply a high voltage. The glass tube 30 surrounds the inner electrode 20 exposed by the gas supply tube 12 and extends below the lower end of the inner electrode 20. In addition, the ground electrode 40 is formed on the outer surface of the glass tube 30 extending below the lower end of the inner electrode 20, the gas passing through the inner electrode 20 by interaction with the inner electrode 20 Discharge to generate a plasma jet.

The gas supply tube 12 supplies the gas required for plasma jet generation as described above. As the gas supply tube 12, a flexible Teflon tube may be used. 3 illustrates an example in which the internal electrode 20 is disposed at the distal end of the gas supply tube 12 from which the sheath 14 is removed, but the internal electrode 20 is disposed at the distal end of the gas supply tube 12 having the sheath 14. 20) can be installed.

The inner electrode 20 has a tubular shape, and has a funnel shape having a relatively large diameter compared to a portion where the portion joined to the gas supply tube 12 is inserted into the glass tube 30. That is, the internal electrode 20 includes a junction portion 21 and a connection portion 23. The joining portion 21 is joined to the inside of one end of the gas supply tube 12. The connection part 23 is formed integrally with the junction part 21 and extends outward of one end of the gas supply tube 12, and has an inner diameter smaller than that of the junction part 21. The connection part 23 is connected to the junction part 21 and the first connection part 23a, the inner diameter of which is narrowed toward the bottom, and the second connection part 23b connected to the first connection part 23a and extending downward and having a constant internal diameter. It includes. In this case, the high voltage line 65 may be connected to the junction 21 of the internal electrode 20 through the inside of the gas supply tube 12. The internal electrode 20 may be made of a metal material having good electrical conductivity.

At this time, the reason why the connecting portion 23 is formed to have a relatively small inner diameter as compared with the bonding portion 21 is to pressurize and spray the gas supplied to the bonding portion 21 through the ends of the connecting portion 23. That is, as shown in (c) of FIG. 4, when the internal electrode 20c is formed in a tubular shape with a predetermined inner diameter, a plasma jet is generated in a portion of the glass tube 30 in which the ground electrode 40 is formed. In this case, however, the difference between the flow rate of the gas entering the gas supply tube 12 into the inner electrode 20c and the flow rate of the gas passing through the inner electrode 20c are not large, that is, passing through the inner electrode 20c. Since the gas is not pressurized and injected, the discharge voltage is high, the plasma jet is diffused to the rear of the internal electrode 20c, and the end of the internal electrode 20c is damaged by prolonged use. Therefore, it is preferable to form the connection part 23 to have a relatively small internal diameter compared with the junction part 21. FIG.

On the other hand, in the first embodiment, an example in which the internal electrode 20 is bonded to the inside of the gas supply tube 12 is disclosed, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the junction 21 of the internal electrode 20 may be bonded to the outside of the gas supply tube 12, as shown in FIG. 6. That is, the lower end of the gas supply tube 12 may be inserted into and bonded to the junction 21 of the internal electrode 20.

The high voltage line 65 for applying the alternating voltage output from the DC-AC inverter 63 to the internal electrode 20 has been described as an example in which the high voltage line 65 is connected to the inner side surface of the first connecting portion 23a, but is not limited thereto. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the high voltage line 65 may be connected to an outer surface of the first connector 23a.

In addition, although the end portion 25 of the internal electrode 20 has been described as an example in which the inclined surface inclined to one side, it is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the distal end portion 25 of the internal electrode 20a may be formed flat. Alternatively, as shown in (b) of FIG. 4, the distal end portion 25 of the internal electrode 20b may form both sides or the entire circumferential surface as an inclined surface.

The glass tube 30 is joined to the outer circumferential surface of the second connecting portion 23b and has a predetermined length extending below the lower end of the second connecting portion 23b. In the case where there is little gap between the glass tube 30 and the second connecting portion 23b, it is advantageous for discharge, and the thickness of the unit plasma jet generator 10 can be made slim. The inner diameter of the glass tube 30 can be made almost the same as the outer diameter of the second connecting portion 23b. For example, the inner diameter of the glass tube 30 may be several mm to several cm, and may be determined according to the plasma jet generation amount. Since the thickness of the glass tube 30 is 1 mm or less, it is advantageous for discharge to make thickness thin within the range which endures high voltage. In this case, the length of the internal electrode 20 inserted into the glass tube 30 is preferably several cm. The distance between the end of the inner electrode 20, that is, the end of the second connection portion 23b, the end of the glass tube 30 is a few mm.

On the other hand, in the first embodiment, an example in which the glass tube 30 is bonded to the second connecting portion 23b of the internal electrode 20 is disclosed, but is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the glass tube 30 may be spaced apart from the second connecting portion 23b so that the upper end portion is joined to the outer surface of the first connecting portion 23a. As shown in FIG. 6B, an insulating layer 81 may be interposed between the glass tube 30 and the internal electrode 20. Alternatively, when the end of the gas supply tube is inserted and bonded inside the junction of the inner electrode, the glass tube may be bonded to the outer side of the junction, and an insulating layer may be formed between the glass tube and the inner electrode. In addition, when the glass tube is bonded to the internal electrode can be bonded via an insulating adhesive.

The ground electrode 40 is formed in an annular shape on the outer surface of the glass tube 30 extending downward than the lower end of the internal electrode 20, and is grounded by the ground line 67. The ground electrode 40 may be formed on the outer surface of the glass tube 30 by coating, depositing or soldering a metal having good conductivity. For example, the ground electrode 40 may be formed in an annular shape having a width of several mm to several cm to extend below the bottom of the internal electrode 30. In the first embodiment, an example in which the ground electrode 40 is formed in a portion of the glass tube 30 spaced apart from the end of the internal electrode 30 is disclosed. The ground electrodes 40 of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10 may be commonly grounded or individually grounded. In the first embodiment, a common grounding example is disclosed.

At this time, the plasma is supplied to the gas supply tube 12 and the internal electrode 20 by a high voltage applied to the internal electrode 20 inside the glass tube 30 and an electric field formed between the ground electrode 40 outside the glass tube 30. The gas passing through the discharge is discharged to generate a plasma jet. The generated plasma jet is emitted to the end of the glass tube 30. The length of the emitted plasma jet is adjusted according to the high voltage applied to the internal electrode 20 and the flow rate of the gas. The length of the plasma jet emitted from the end of the glass tube 30 is usually several mm to several cm.

As such, the funnel-shaped inner electrode 20 is installed at the end of the gas supply tube 12 to allow gas to pass through, and the inner electrode 20 is disposed on the outer surface of the glass tube 30 surrounding the outer side of the inner electrode 20. By forming the ground electrode 40 to extend below the lower end of the, by the interaction of the internal electrode 20 and the ground electrode 40 to discharge the gas passing through the internal electrode 20 to smoothly generate a plasma jet Can be. In particular, by forming the ground electrode 40 under the inner electrode 20, the plasma jet generated in the glass tube 30 under the inner electrode 20 can be smoothly discharged out of the glass tube 30.

At this time, in the first embodiment, an example in which the ground electrode 40 is formed on the outer surface of the glass tube 30 extending downward from the lower end of the internal electrode 20 is disclosed, but is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the ground electrode 40 may be formed to be wider from the end of the inner electrode 20 to the end of the glass tube 30. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8B, the ground electrode 40 may be formed to include the end portion of the internal electrode 20.

However, it was confirmed through experiments that the ground electrode 40 is not formed or not formed as shown in FIG. 9.

That is, when the ground electrode provided outside the glass tube 30 is not provided as shown in FIG. 9 (a) or when the electrode 40b is not grounded as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the discharge is easy. And the generation of the plasma jet could not be easily adjusted. In addition, even when the electrode was formed inside the glass tube but not grounded, the discharge was not easy and the generation of the plasma jet could not be easily adjusted.

As shown in (c) of FIG. 9, the ground electrode 40c may be installed inside the glass tube 30, or the letter U may be connected to the inside and the outside of the glass tube 30 as illustrated in (d) of FIG. 9. When the ground electrode 40d is formed in a shape, the plasma jet generated directly on the ground electrodes 40c and 40d is exposed. In this case, since the generated plasma jet flows in the form of a current through the ground electrodes 40c and 40d, the plasma jet cannot be emitted from the end of the glass tube 30.

In addition, it was confirmed through experiments that radiation of the plasma jet was impossible even when a cylindrical metal electrode was used as the ground electrode instead of the glass tube. Similarly, even if the ground electrode is installed inside or at the end of the glass tube, even if the grounding is not performed, the amount of plasma jet emitted to the end of the glass tube cannot be easily adjusted.

Meanwhile, plasma jet generation can be effectively induced by converting a commercial AC power supply to an internal electrode 20 by applying an alternating high voltage of low frequency, for example, an AC voltage of several hundred V to several kV having a frequency of several tens of kHz to several hundred kHz. The generation of the uniform plasma jet and the discharge amount of the plasma jet can be controlled by adjusting the DC voltage applied to the DC-AC inverter 63 applying the AC voltage to the internal electrode 20.

The reason why the capacitors C and the resistors R are connected to the internal electrodes 20 of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10 is as follows. When an AC voltage is directly applied from the DC-AC inverter to the internal electrodes, it is difficult to uniformly maintain the generation amount of the plasma jets generated in each of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators, and the unit plasma jet generators 10 are installed in close proximity to each other. Unstable discharge may be caused by the interference of the liver. That is, even if a voltage having the same magnitude is applied to the internal electrodes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses by using each DC-AC inverter, the plasma jet is unevenly emitted from each channel. In addition, even when a capacitor and a resistor are connected to one DC-AC inverter to supply an AC voltage to each internal electrode, uniform plasma jet and stable discharge are not possible for each unit plasma jet generating apparatus.

 However, as shown in FIG. 1, a capacitor C and a resistor R having the same capacitance are connected to the internal electrode 20 of each unit plasma jet generator 10, and the same AC power source is employed. By doing so, the problem as described above can be solved. The reduced ground electrode 40 at the end of the glass tube 30 is similarly grounded. In this case, it is assumed that the structure of each unit plasma jet generator 10 must maintain the same shape, and that gas of the same flow rate is injected into each unit plasma jet generator 10. In addition, one AC power source must be used to maintain the same AC voltage phase applied to each unit plasma jet generator 10.

When using a high-frequency (MHz) or microwave (GHz) -power source between the internal electrode 20 and the ground electrode 40, it is not easy to adjust the generation amount of the plasma jet and miniaturize the power supply device. Not.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 10, an insulating protective layer 83 surrounding the ground electrode 40 may be further formed. When the ground electrode 40 formed outside the glass tube 30 is coated with the insulating protective layer 83 as shown in FIG. 10A, the plasma jet emitted to the end of the glass tube 30 flows directly to the ground electrode 40. Can be prevented. In the case where the ground electrode 40 is extended and installed inside the glass tube 30 as shown in FIG. 10B, an insulating protective layer 83 must be applied to adjust the generation amount of the plasma jet. In general, when the plasma is in direct contact with the ground electrode 40, the amount of plasma current is rapidly increased and the plasma flows to the ground electrode so that the emission of the plasma jet is not easy.

In the multi-channel plasma jet generator 100 according to the first embodiment, one AC voltage supply unit 62 applies an AC voltage in parallel to the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10. As a result, the AC voltage supply unit 62 may apply an AC voltage having the same phase to the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10.

The end portions of the glass tubes 30 of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10 are each focused at a point F so that each of the plasma jets generated by the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10 can be focused at a specific point. It is formed to face. In this case, the focus point F may be located at a point spaced apart from the glass tube 30 positioned at a center portion of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10 by a predetermined interval. For example, when the unit plasma jet generating apparatus 10 includes three unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 10 and is located below the glass tube 30 of the unit plasma jet generating apparatus 10 having the center of focus, the center, The glass tube 930 of the unit plasma jet generator 10 positioned is formed in a straight line toward the focus point F, and the other end of the glass tube 30 of the unit plasma jet generator 10 is the focus point F. It is bent at an angle toward).

Meanwhile, the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment includes three unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 10a, 10b, and 10c, but an example in which the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 100 is installed in a row is not limited thereto. For example, the three unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 10a, 10b, and 10c may be installed at a point forming an equilateral triangle on a circumference having a predetermined radius around the focus point F. In this case, the ends of the glass tubes 30 of the three unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 10a, 10b, and 10c are all bent at an angle toward the focus point F. Alternatively, the plurality of unit plasma jet generators may be arranged in a lattice arrangement. Alternatively, unit plasma jet generators may be disposed on the plurality of tracks. In this case, the orbit may have an ellipse or a square shape. For example, when the trajectory is caused, the unit plasma jet generating apparatuses may be disposed on circumferences having a plurality of radii different from each other with respect to the focus point. In addition, the arrangement of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 10 may be variously implemented.

A state in which the surface S is processed by using the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11 as follows. In FIG. 11, the unit plasma jet generating device located on the left side among the three unit plasma jet generating devices 10a, 10b, and 10c is called the first unit plasma jet generating device 10a, and the unit plasma jet generating device located in the center is The unit plasma jet generator 10b located on the right side is called the second unit plasma jet generator 10c.

Referring to FIG. 11, a gas is supplied to each of the gas supply tubes 12 of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10, and a low frequency AC voltage is applied to the internal electrode 20. At this time, as the gas flows along the inner electrode 20, the inner diameter decreases as the inner diameter decreases from the junction portion 21 to the connection portion 23.

Next, a low frequency AC voltage is applied to the internal electrode 20, and the gas ejected to the end of the internal electrode 20 is discharged by an electric field formed by grounding the ground electrode 40 to generate a plasma jet.

The generated plasma jet is irradiated to the surface S after passing through the glass tube 30 by the flow of gas. In this case, chemical species such as O, OH and O ₃ generated by the plasma jet, ions and ultraviolet rays in the plasma jet may treat, sterilize or sterilize the surface (S), for example, the skin or tooth surface, or Cleaning of cotton, metal or nonmetallic surfaces can be modified.

In this case, the same gas may be injected into the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10, and another gas may be injected into at least one of them. That is, the same inert gas may be injected into most of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 10, and oxygen gas or air may be injected into at least one of them. For example, oxygen gas may be injected into the second unit plasma jet generator 10b and argon gas may be injected into the first and third unit plasma jet generators 10a and 10c.

As described above, the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment may inject two or more kinds of gases to perform treatment or work by using a plasma jet having various kinds of active species. Treatment and work efficiency can be improved as compared with using a plasma jet generated by discharging the gas.

Second embodiment

Meanwhile, in the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, an example in which one AC voltage supply unit 62 is connected to the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 10 is disclosed, but the present invention is not limited thereto. . For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the plurality of AC voltage supplies 162 and 164 may be connected to the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 110 in parallel or in series.

12 illustrates a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment includes a power supply unit 160 having a plurality of AC voltage supply units 162 and 164. The number of AC voltage supplying units 162 and 164 may correspond to the number of types of gases supplied to the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 110, respectively. That is, different types of gases may be injected into at least one of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 110, and the plurality of AC voltage supply units 162 and 164 may be connected to unit plasma jet generators into which the same type of gas is injected. When even-numbered unit plasma jet generators are connected to the AC voltage supply unit, the AC voltage supply unit divides the even-numbered unit plasma jet generators into two groups and applies AC voltages having opposite polarities. In this case, the reason why the alternating voltages of opposite polarities are applied is that connecting the same polarity to all the channels may cause a difference in the uniformity of the emission plasma due to the difference in the amount of plasma generated in each channel. Therefore, when voltages of opposite polarities are applied alternately, the amount of plasma jets emitted in all channels is kept the same, thereby increasing the uniformity of the radiation amount.

In this case, the plurality of AC voltage supply units 162 and 164 may each include a DC-AC inverter and an SMPS. Alternatively, the plurality of AC voltage supply units 162 and 164 may each include a DC-AC inverter, and may use the SMPS in common.

For example, the power supply unit 160 according to the second embodiment may include a first AC voltage supply unit 162 connected in parallel to the first and third unit plasma jet generators 110a and 110c and a second unit plasma jet generator. And a second AC voltage supply unit 164 connected in series with 110b. An inert gas such as argon gas may be injected into the first and third unit plasma jet generating devices 110a and 110c, and oxygen gas or air may be injected into the second unit plasma jet generating device 110b. In this case, in order to make the amount of plasma jets generated by the first to third unit plasma jet generators 110a and 110c the same, a relatively high AC voltage may be applied to the second unit plasma jet generators 110b. . The reason why the first and second AC voltage supply units 162 and 164 apply different AC voltages is that the discharge voltage of the oxygen gas is higher than that of the argon gas.

As described above, the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment may inject two or more kinds of gases to perform treatment or work using plasma jets having various kinds of active species. Treatment and work efficiency can be improved as compared with using a plasma jet generated by discharging the gas.

In addition, since the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment includes a plurality of AC voltage supply units 162 and 164 capable of applying an appropriate AC voltage according to the type of gas to be injected, the type of gas to be injected In accordance with the present invention, an appropriate AC voltage may be applied to uniformly maintain the amount of plasma jets generated in each of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 110.

Third and fourth embodiments

On the other hand, the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus according to the first and second embodiments disclosed an example in which the end of the glass tube is bent toward the focus point, but is not limited thereto. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, end portions of the glass tubes 230 and 330 of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 210 and 310 may be connected to the connection tubes 250 and 350 having the outlets 251 and 351 of the plasma jet.

13 is a diagram illustrating a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 14 illustrates a multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

13 and 14, in the multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatuses 300 and 400 according to the third and fourth exemplary embodiments, ends of the glass tubes 230 and 330 of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 210 and 310 are connected to the connecting tubes 250 and 350. It has a structure connected to each other through). In this case, the connection pipes 250 and 350 have discharge ports 251 and 351 formed therein for discharging the plasma jet.

The connection pipe 250 according to the third embodiment may horizontally connect the ends of the glass pipe 230.

The connection pipe 350 according to the fourth embodiment may form the end of the glass tube 330 to be inclined toward the discharge port 351. At this time, the outlet 351 of the connection pipe 350 is located below the end of the glass tube 330, the connection pipe 350 may be formed in the shape of a curved tube or V-shaped tube. The reason for this is formed so that the plasma jet discharged from the glass tube 330 can be smoothly discharged to the outlet 351 of the connection pipe 350.

Meanwhile, the glass tubes 230 and 330 and the connection tubes 250 and 350 of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 210 and 310 may be integrally formed. For example, in the case of including two unit plasma jet generating apparatuses 210a, 201b, 310a, and 310b as in the third and fourth embodiments, the integrally formed glass tubes 230 and 330 and the connecting tubes 250 and 350 have U-shaped ends. It can be implemented in the form of a V-shaped tube. Both ends are joined to the internal electrodes 220 and 320 of the two unit plasma jet generators 210a, 201b, 310a, and 310b, respectively.

In addition, the ground electrodes 240 and 340 of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators 210 and 310 may be individually grounded.

On the other hand, the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the specification and drawings are merely presented specific examples to aid understanding, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention may be implemented.

10 unit plasma jet generator 12 gas supply tube
14 coating 20 internal electrode
21: connection 23: connection
23a: first connection part 23b: second connection part
30: glass tube 40: ground electrode
60: power supply 61: SMPS
63: DC-AC inverter 65: AC voltage supply
100,200,300,400: Multichannel Plasma Jet Generator
250,350: Connector

Claims (17)

A multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus comprising a plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatus connected to each other at a predetermined interval,
Each of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators,
A gas supply tube supplying a gas required for plasma jet generation;
One side is tubularly connected to one end of the gas supply tube in which the gas is discharged, the other side connected to the one side is formed narrower than the one side to pass the gas supplied from the gas supply tube and high voltage is An internal electrode applied;
A glass tube surrounding the inner electrode exposed from the gas supply tube, the glass tube extending down from a lower end of the inner electrode;
A ground electrode formed on an outer surface of the glass tube extending below the bottom of the inner electrode and discharging the gas passing through the inner electrode by interaction with the inner electrode to generate a plasma jet;
Multi-channel plasma jet generating device comprising a. The method of claim 1,
A power supply unit applying an AC voltage to internal electrodes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators;
Multi-channel plasma jet generating device further comprising. The method of claim 2, wherein the power supply unit,
Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS) for converting commercial AC power into DC voltage;
A DC-AC inverter converting the DC voltage input to the SMPS into an AC voltage and applying the same to the internal electrodes;
Multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus comprising a. The method of claim 3,
The AC voltage output from the DC-AC inverter is applied through a capacitor and a resistor respectively connected to the internal electrodes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators. The method of claim 4, wherein
And one DC-AC inverter applies alternating voltage to the plurality of unit plasma jet generators in parallel. The method of claim 4, wherein
And a plurality of DC-AC inverters are connected in parallel or in series to the plurality of unit plasma jet generators to apply an AC voltage. The method according to claim 5 or 6,
And a different gas is injected into at least one of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators. The method of claim 6,
Another gas is injected into at least one of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators, and the plurality of DC-AC inverters corresponding to the number of types of gases injected into the plurality of unit plasma jet generators are provided. The DC-AC inverter is connected to a unit plasma jet generator, each of the same kind of gas is injected, multi-channel plasma jet generator. The method of claim 6,
When even-numbered unit plasma jet generators are connected to the DC-AC inverter, the DC-AC inverter divides the even-numbered unit plasma jet generators into two groups and applies AC voltages having opposite polarities. Multi-channel plasma jet generator. The multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein ends of the glass tubes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating apparatuses are formed to face focus points, respectively. The method of claim 10,
The focus point is a multi-channel plasma jet generator, characterized in that located at a point spaced apart from the glass tube located in the central portion of the plurality of unit plasma jet generator. The method of claim 1,
A connection pipe which connects end portions of the glass tubes of the plurality of unit plasma jet generators to each other, and has a discharge port configured to discharge plasma jets below the center portion;
Multi-channel plasma jet generating device further comprising. The method of claim 12,
The connecting pipe is connected to the end of the glass tube of the plurality of unit plasma jet generating device horizontally, or multi-channel plasma jet generating device characterized in that inclinedly connected toward the discharge port. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal electrode is
A junction part joined to an inner side of one end of the gas supply tube;
A connection part which is formed integrally with the junction part and is formed to the outside of one end of the gas supply tube, and has a width smaller than the inner diameter of the junction part to pressurize and inject the gas introduced therein;
Multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus comprising a. The method of claim 14, wherein the connecting portion,
A first connection portion connected to the junction portion, the inner diameter of which is narrowed downwardly;
A second connection part connected to the first connection part and having a constant inner diameter;
Multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus comprising a. The method of claim 15, wherein the glass tube
The multi-channel plasma jet generating apparatus is bonded to the outer circumferential surface of the second connecting portion. The method of claim 1, wherein the ground electrode
Multi-channel plasma jet generating device characterized in that formed in an annular on the outer surface of the glass tube extending below the lower end of the inner electrode.

Images