US2423858A

US2423858A - Electric discharge, ultra high frequency generating, and switching tube

Info

Publication number: US2423858A
Application number: US523634A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vang Alfred
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-02-24
Filing date: 1944-02-24
Publication date: 1947-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 1964-07-15

Description

I y A. VANG 2,423,858

ELECTRIC DISCHARGE, ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY GENERATING, AND SWITCHING TUBE Filed Feb. 24, 1944 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 :r llllllll ll "INI llllilll INVENTOR. Al-FRED mm BY flay la. 0%

JITORNEY July 15, 1941;

A. VANG ELECTRIC DISCHARGE, ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY GENERATING, AND SWITCHING TUBE Filed Feb. 24,}944 SSheets-Sheet 3 I IIIJ III IN V EN TOR. I41 FRED VJNG.

Iii- I QM.

ATTORNEY Patented July 15, 1947 ELECTRIC DISCHARGE, ULTRA HIGH FRE- QUENCY GENERATING, AND SWITCHING TUBE Alfred Vang, New York, N. Y.

Application February 24, 1944, Serial No. 523,634

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric discharge, ultra high frequency generating, and switching tubes, and it has more particular reference to improvements on my electrical discharge tubes of the United States Patent No. 2,287,541, issued June 23, 1942, which improvements will make them more valuable for discharging, or switching heavy electric currents, or generating ultra high frequency currents.

Under the impetus of the great strides made in industrialization, the electric industry is growing very rapidly. Great demand has developed for better and improved equipment to handle the ever increasing volume of electric power at rapidly increasing frequencies, voltages and amperage. The equipment now used for handling heavy currents is inadequate and quite dangerous.

The use of my discharge tubes for generating high frequency currents is of immense value in numerous industries. Its present greatest value is in the welding art, though this is but one art of many in which it may be used. In accordance with this invention it is proposed that the discharge tube be used as a generator of ultra high frequency currents, by converting relatively low frequency currents. It is contemplated that the low frequency feeding current and the delivered ultra high frequency currents may be separated and independently used.

The invention also contemplates the use of a conductor coil arranged externally of the envelope and within the field of the ultra high frequency current, generated by said discharge tube for picking up ultra high frequency impulses. This coil may be connected up with a suitable capacitor. The presence of the high frequency impulse may easily be detected by a neon tube and certain electric lights.

At switchboards and other switching points, it is customary to use a switching mechanism in which circuits are made and broken by engaging and disengaging a pair of contacts. Generally, these contacts are exposed and quite dangerous. Often vicious electric arcs are drawn when the contacts are separated to open electric circuits. Such exposed arcs are highly undesirable. Not only do they cause a heavy wear and tear on the contacts themselves by generating high degrees of heat, but there is always the danger present that they will be uncontrollable for one reason or another, and short-circuit equipment, and even seriously hurt or electrocute Persons and cause explosions of fumes, which may be present. This is particularly true for ultra high frequency currents of large voltage.

Numerous attempts have been made to construct equipment which would be relatively safe. Devices have been provided to blow out these arcs as they occur. Some equipments have used blasts of air to do this. Other systems make use of magnetism to blow out the arcs. In other equipments shields of various types have been made to confine the arcs. In still other equipments the arcs have been surrounded with oil or other fluids.

However, under present day conditions, with a continuous increase in the power being used, it has been found on many occasions that the present equipment does not match up to the job.

My discharge tube, as disclosed in my patent, supra, is well adapted to act as a switching, high frequency current generating and discharge device. An important feature of its construction resides in the fact that the are is at all times confined within an insulation envelope, of which the tube is made. With this arrangement, the dangers previously pointed out have been materially decreased. Moreover, my design of tubes is especially well adapted to handle very large currents. For this reason, it offers a simple solution for the problems pointed out above.

However, it has been found desirable to add certain important improvements to my said patented invention, to adapt the tube for the new purposes stated.

In the first place, it is proposed to provide means externally of the tube for restricting the flow of current through the tube. With this addition the discharge tube also becomes a switching tube. The external means, thus referred to, may take any number of different forms, or designs, and work in accordance with any number of different methods. Several of said forms of the invention have been disclosed in this application. In one form, the restricting means has been disclosed in the nature of electro-magnetic means.

tion, one or a plurality of electro-magnetic coils is proposed, arranged around the tube for constricting the arc at these points within the tube. This restriction of the flow of current may be used for many different purposes.

The invention also proposes the provision of novel cooling means for the discharge tube. When the tube is used for extra high currents, for discharge and switching purposes for long periods of time, there is a tendency for the envelope to heat up. This invention discloses several ways for radiating the heat to keep said temperature down. With the constructions suggested and disclosed, it is possible to use the tube for the control of greater power discharges.

The invention contemplates characterizing the cooling means by circulatinga coolant around thedischarge tube, numerous coolants are proposed, both liquid and gaseous. In one form of the invention water or other vapors are proposed and supersonic vibrations are used for speeding up the transfer of heat from the discharge tube to the cooling vapors.

with the above and other objects in view, this invention consists of th novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, and in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view, illustrating the manner in which my tube may be used as a high frequency generator. I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my electric discharge and switching tube, constructed in accordance with another form ,ofthis invention.

,of'an electric discharge and switching tube constructed according to still another form of this invention.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of another electric discharge tube constructed in accordance with a somewhat different form of this invention.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in Figure 1, one arrangement has been shown of the improved electric discharge tube in which it has been connected up as a generator for ultra high frequency currents. This generator tube includes the usual insulation material envelope I 0, containing a pair of mercury electrodes II, or electrodes of other suitable material. The interior compass of the envelope I0 is rarefied and charged with a conducting gas or other media. A starting electrode I2 is associated with the tube and connected with a starting circuit I 3.

The electrodes H are connected up in a circult I, which includes the secondary I5 of a transformer l6, having a primary II. It is intended that the primary ll be connected with an alternating current. such as is usually supplied for commercial purposes. The transformer l6 should be of a design to step up the voltage to Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the tube several thousand or more volts. An experimental tube which I have used in the laboratory was supplied with twenty-flve thousand volts and worked excellently. The electrodes ii are also connected up with a circuit l8 for the ultra high frequency current which is generated by the discharge tube. It is intended that this circuit is be associated with suitable choke mechanism which permits passage only of the high frequency current desired.

A coil it of conducting material is wound externally around the envelope it. This coil is connected by a lead 20 with a capacitance coil 2i. The ultra high frequency current generated within the discharge tube will produce an ultra-high frequency field, which will set up induced currents in the coil it. These currents may b ie-' tected by a neon lamp, other types of lamps, wave meters, and other measuring instruments.

The electric discharge and switching tube, disclosed in the Figures 2 and 3, includes a closed envelope 25 of insulation material, having a. pair of spaced portions 26, which are lower than the portion 21 between said spaced portions 26. A mercury electrode 28 is provided for each of said pair of spaced portions 26 for connection in an external electric circuit for conducting current through said tube 25. Each electrode 28 includes a pool of'mercury 29, disposed in said low portions," an electric-lead 30 extending th'rough the material of the envelope 25 to the exterior.

Starting and control electrodes 3| located outside of the envelope 25 is provided for controlling the flow of electrlccurrent through the tube. Up to this point the electric discharge tube is substantially identical to the tube disclosed in my patent referred to above.

The improved tube now distinguishes in the provision of means external of the tube for restricting the flow of current through the tube. This means includes an electro-magnet 32 located between the said pair of spaced portions 26 and opposed to a plurality of baflie plates 33, located within the envelope 25 at the side remote from th electro-magnet 32. The electro-magnet 32 is connected in an electric circuit 34, controlled by a switch 35. When the switch 35 is closed, the electro-magnet 32 becomes energized and the magnetism. will blow the electric arc within the envelope 25 against the baflle plates 33. lengthening the arc and thus increasing the resistance within the tube and causing the arc to break and thus turn off the current through the tube.

The improved tube is also equipped with cooling means characterized by an outer envelope I6, encaslng said envelope 25. Nipples 31 are mounted on the ends of the envelope 36 and are provided with an inlet 38 and an outlet 39, through which a cooling fluid may be circulated. It is proposed that the space 40 between the

envelopes

25 and 36 be very small, so that the efliciency of the radiating system will be relatively great. However, in order to make the space 40 small, it becomes a problem to insert the envelope 25 within the envelope 36. This problem has been solved by making the envelopes annular, concentric and helical. With this arrangement, it is an easy matter to screw the envelopes together. The helical construction of the envelopes may easily be recognized by an inspection of Figure 3. The electro-magnet 32 is shown mounted on a bridge 4| constructed between the sides of the outer envelope 36.

The coolant which is to be circulated through various purposes.

' the space 40 may be either liquid or gaseous. 1!

vapor a, vibration diaphragm in the nature of a sheet metal ring 43 is mounted across one end of the outer envelope 36., This ring 43 is provided with an armature 44 which may be attracted and repelled by the positive and negative electromagnet 45-, suitably supported by a bracket 45. The electro-magnet 45 is capable of vibrating the diaphragm 43 with sonic or supersonic vibrations. These vibrations will be transmitted to the gaseous substance circulating through the space 40, facilitating the transfer of heat i'rom the envelope 25 to the cooling medium.

' In the Figures 4 and 5, a modified form of the invention has been disclosed in which the electric conducting current through the tube. A plurality of coils 5! are arranged transversely of the envelope 41 at spaced points alongthe tube. Electric circuits 52 control the passage of current through the coils 5|. One of the coils 5| may be used as a starting electrode for theielectric curhas an inlet" and an outlet 61 for the coolin fluid. The cooling fluid may be 011, water, or'

brine, or other material capable of conducting heat given of! by the envelope." to prevent overheating.

In Figures 7 and 8 still another form of the invention is disclosed, in which the electric discharge and switching tube includes a closedinverted U-shaped envelope 10, having mercury electrodes. II at its ends. This tube is provided with starting and control electrodes 12. A plurality of fins I3 are mounted upon the envelope III at spaced positions for the purpose of air cooling the tube by convection.

' It is obvious that slight changes may be'made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, as shown, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not, therefore, wish to limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement shown and described herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An electric discharge and switching tube, comprising a closed envelope of insulation material, having apair of spaced electrodes for connection in an external electric current, amedium adapted to be ionized, for conducting. current through said-envelope, a starting and control electrode outside of said envelope for controlling electric current flowing through said envelope,

rent which is to flow through the tube. The series 7 of coils 5i may be used for restricting the flow of current through the tube. As current flows through the coils 5|, the magnetism from the coils will constrict the are through the envelope 41. For each coil 5i there will be a separate constriction. This restricted current may be used for By suitably operating the circuits 52, it is possible to modulatea direct current into a pulsating current of various characteristics.

In Figure 6 another form of the invention has been disclosed, in which an electric discharge tube of insulation material is provided with a 7 pair of spaced portions 56, which are lower than.

the portion 51 between said spaced portions. Mercury electrodes 58 are located within and through said spaced portions 56 for connection-in an external electric circuit for controlling current through said tube; Starting and control electrodes 59 from 1 the outside are mounted through the envelope 55. The envelope 55 is also provided with means-for restricting theflow of current through the tube. This means is in the nature of a slidably mounted shutter 60, capable of extending across the envelope 55 at a point between the spaced portions 56. The shutter 60 is slidably mounted in an offset portion 6 l, formed at one side of the'envelope 55. An armature 52 is mounted on or within the shutter 60. This armature is attractable by an electro-magnet 63, mounted externally of the envelope 55. Gravity or other forces is depended upon to move the shutter 60 to a, downer open condition. The electromagnet 63 is for the purpose of raising the shutter 60 across the envelope 55 to cut the electric arc.

The envelope 55 is shown mounted within a container 64, having several bailles 65 for guidin the circulation of a cooling fluid. This container and means externally of said envelope for restricting the flow of current through said envelope, comprising a' shutter slidably-mounted to move across said envelope at a, point between said spaced portions, and external means for moving said shutter.

2. An electric discharge and switching tube, comprising a closed envelope of insulation material, having a pair of spaced electrodes for connection in an external electric current, a medium adapted to be ionized, for conducting current through said envelope, a starting-and control electrode outside of said envelope for controllin electric current flowing through said envelope, and means externally of said envelope for restricting the flow of current through said envelope, comprising a shutter slidably mounted to move across said envelope'at a point between said spaced portions, and external means for moving said shutand means for distorting an arc flowing in the envelope and comprising transverse baiiies of insulating material projecting into the interior of the envelope, and magnetic field producing means exterior of the envelope and substantially opposite said baflles.

4. An electric discharge and switching tube,

trode for ionizing said medium and controlling I electric current flowing through said envelope,

means for cooling said envelope, and comprising a container encasing said envelope and having an inlet and outlet, and baille means within said container for guiding cooling fluid through the container, and means for distorting: an arc flowing in the envelope, said means comprising transverse battles of insulating material projecting into the interior of the envelope, and magnetic field producing means exterior of the envelope and substantially opposite the bafiles.

ALFRED VANG.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file of this patent: