US2919368A - Gaseous reservoir and method - Google Patents

Gaseous reservoir and method Download PDF

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Publication number
US2919368A
US2919368A US714086A US71408658A US2919368A US 2919368 A US2919368 A US 2919368A US 714086 A US714086 A US 714086A US 71408658 A US71408658 A US 71408658A US 2919368 A US2919368 A US 2919368A
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United States
Prior art keywords
gas
pressure
reservoir
atomic ratio
absorbed
Prior art date
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Expired - Lifetime
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US714086A
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English (en)
Inventor
Goldberg Seymour
Edward J Goon
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PerkinElmer Inc
Original Assignee
Edgerton Germeshausen and Grier Inc
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
Priority to NL295189D priority Critical patent/NL295189A/xx
Application filed by Edgerton Germeshausen and Grier Inc filed Critical Edgerton Germeshausen and Grier Inc
Priority to US714086A priority patent/US2919368A/en
Priority to FR1205781D priority patent/FR1205781A/fr
Priority to GB34895/58A priority patent/GB849868A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2919368A publication Critical patent/US2919368A/en
Priority to US42018A priority patent/US3098166A/en
Priority to FR941342A priority patent/FR83992E/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J17/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with solid cathode
    • H01J17/02—Details
    • H01J17/22—Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the tube
    • H01J17/26—Means for producing, introducing, or replenishing gas or vapour during operation of the tube

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to gaseous-discharge devices and the like and, more particularly, to reservoirs for supplying gas in such devices.
  • gaseous-discharge devices such as, for example, rectifiers and thyratrons
  • pressure fluctuations occur during the initial instants of operation. Pressure variations also occur during subsequent life-time operation of such devices.
  • the processes involved in such variations, including variations caused by so-called cleanup phenomena, are imperfectly understood at present so that resort has been had to the use of pressure-equalizing reservoirs of gas within the gaseous-discharge device.
  • the reservoirs should maintain a constant equilibrium pressure in the tube.
  • an approximation only to such an ideal has been obtained by employing, for example, a heated titanium or zirconium reservoir containing occluded or absorbed hydrogen gas.
  • An object of the present invention accordingly, is to provide a new and improved reservoir and method of gas supply of the above-described character that shall not be subject to these disadvantages, but that shall, to the contrary, provide for release of occluded or absorbed gas Without substantial change in pressure for, the required temperatures and pressures, and shall do so while permitting of greatly increased atomic ratios of absorbed gas in the reservoir.
  • this end is achieved by operating an appropriate reservoir member within a temperature range in which the equilibrium-dissociationpressure, as read from the plateau region of a graph of equilibrium-dissociation-pressure versus atomic ratio of absorbed gas, lies within the required predetermined pressure limits.
  • the term atomic ratio as used herein is intended to mean the number of absorbed gas atoms per atom of metal.
  • a further object is to provide a new and improved gaseous-discharge device employing such a novel reservoir.
  • Still another object is to provide a novel gas-supply apparatus of more general utility, as well.
  • FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating the before-mentioned equilibrium-dissociationpressure versus atomic ratio of absorbed gas characteristics
  • Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a preferred reservoir construction embodied in a gaseous-discharge device.
  • a prior-art titanium reservoir containing absorbed hydrogen gas operates on the initial steeply rising portion I of its equilibrium-dissocation pressure (plotted in millimeters along theordinate) versus atomic ratio of absorbed gas (plotted along the abscissa) characteristic.
  • This characteristic applies for an operating temperature of the reservoir sufiiciently high to minimize the eifects of ambient temperature variations in such gaseous-discharge devices; namely, a reservoir temperature in the neighborhood of 1000 K.
  • the initial portion I is then followed by a horizontal plateau region I, where, as the atomic ratio of absorbed gas varies, substantially no change in equilibrium dissociation pressure occurs.
  • the characteristic .then rapidly rises to the far right.
  • the plateau region I is the desirable operating portion of the characteristic for the purposes of the present invention. Unfortunately, at the 1000 K. temperature, that plateau I can only be obtained for a high 5.0 millimeters of pressure, entirely outside the required pressure-limits P.
  • the rare earth materials have the property of providing very long plateau regions within the preferred pressure range P at the 1000 K. temperature.
  • the rare earths include elements number 57 through 71 in the periodic table; namely, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium.
  • the horizontal plateau region for cerium occurs at a pressure of one millimeter at 1000 K.
  • the pressure in the plateau region may be altered from these values by raising or lowering the temperature from 1000" K. without appreciably affecting the extent of the plateau region.
  • a plateau pressure of 0.36 millimeter may be obtained at 971 K. While at 1073 K. a. plateau pressure of about 4 millimeters is had.
  • all of the rare earths are remarkably similar in chemical behavior, it is to be expected that alloys and combinations of various rare earths would produce results similar to those described above.
  • the reservoir of the present invention is shown in Fig. 2 embodied in a ceramic-vessel thy ratron-type tube having a cup-shaped anode electrode 1, an inverted cupshaped control electrode 3 and a vane-type cathode electrode 5, as described in the said copending application.
  • These three electrodes are provided with flanges 1, 3', 5' sealed between ceramic-vessel wall sections 2, as more fully set forth in the said application.
  • the control electrode 3 may be apertured as at 7 and disposed close to the anode 1, and a grid bafile 9, overlying the apertures 7 may also be provided.
  • a cathode bafile 11 may also be employed.
  • the reservoir 4 comprises a cup 6 containing the hydrogen-gas-saturated rare earth material or materials 6.
  • the upper cover 8 is apertured and covered by a wire mesh screen 10, having a lid 18 attached by a porous Weld thereto, thus providing a gas diifusion outlet for the reservoir.
  • a spiral heater 12, energizable by conductors 14 and 16 (the latter of which communicates with the cathode-cup flange 5' and the former of which may extend outside the base of the tube), will heat the reservoir to the required temperature.
  • the height of the reservoir chamber 6 is intentially made small so that the length of the difiusion path from any point of the chamber is short.
  • the short diffusion path and the proximity of the heater Winding 12 provide improved thermal efiiciency and warmup.
  • a heatretaining baffle 20 may also be employed.
  • a gas reservoir for a closed vessel that is to remain pressurized within predetermined pressure limits, having, incombination, a member comprising a rare-earth or the like containing absorbed gas, and means for operating the member within a range of temperature in which the plateau in the equilibrium-dissociation-pressure versus atomic ratio of absorbed gas characteristic thereof lies within the said predetermined pressure limits and within the atomic ratio range of approximately 0.2 to 1.9.
  • a gas reservoir for a closed vessel that is to remain pressurized within predetermined pressure limits, having, in combination, a member comprising a rare-earth or the like containing absorbed hydrogen gas, and means for operating the member within a range of temperature in which the plateau in the equilibrium-dissociation-pressure versus atomic ratio of absorbed hydrogen gas characteristic thereof lies within the said predetermined pressure limits and within the atomic ratio range of approximately 0.2 to 1.9.
  • a gas reservoir for a closed vessel that is to remain pressurized within predetermined pressure limits of from. substantially one-tenth to substantially one millimeter of pressure, having, in combination, a member comprising a rare earth or the like containing absorbed hydrogen gas, and means for operating the member at a temperature in the neighborhood of substantially one thousand degrees Kelvin whereby the plateau in the equilibrium-dissociation-pressure versus atomic ratio of absorbed hydrogen gas characteristic thereof lies within the said predetermined pressure limits and within the atomic ratio range of approximately 0.2 to 1.9.
  • a gaseous-discharge device comprising a closed vessel containing a plurality of electrodes and a hydrogen gaseous medium of predetermined pressure, a gas reservoir member within the vessel comprising a rare earth or the like containing absorbed hydrogen gas, and means for operating the member at a temperature at which the plateau in the equilibrium-dissociation-pressure versus atomic ratio of absorbed gas characteristic thereof occurs at substantially the said predetermined pressure and within the atomic ratio range of approximately 0.2 to 1.9.
  • a gaseous-discharge device comprising a closed vessel containing a plurality of electrodes and a gaseous medium of predetermined pressure, a gas reservoir within the vessel comprising a rare earth or the like containing absorbed gas and disposed within a container having a diffusion outlet, and means for heating the reservoir to a temperature at which the plateau in the equilibrium-dissociation-pressure versus atomic ratio of absorbed gas characteristic thereof occurs at substantially the said predetermined pressure and within the atomic ratio range of approximately 0.2 to 1.9.
  • a hydrogen discharge device comprising a closed vessel containing at least an anode and a cathode and filled with hydrogen gas of predetermined pressure, a gas reservoir disposed within the vessel on the opposite side of the cathode from the anode and comprising a rare earth or the like containing absorbed hydrogen gas, and means for heating the reservoir at a temperature at which the plateau in the rare-earth equilibrium-dissociation-pressure versus atomic ratio of absorbed gas characteristic occurs at substantially the said predetermined pressure and within the atomic ratio range of approximately 0.2 to 1.9.
  • a hydrogen discharge device comprising a closed vessel containing at least an anode and a cathode and filled with hydrogen gas of predetermined pressure, a gas reservoir disposed within the vessel and comprising a rare earth selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium and samarium containing absorbed hydrogen gas, and means for heating the reservoir at a temperature at which the plateau in the rare-earth equilibrium-dissociation-pressure versus atomic ratio of absorbed gas characteristic occurs at substantially the said predetermined pressure and within the atomic ratio range of approximately 0.2 to 1.9.

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US714086A 1958-02-10 1958-02-10 Gaseous reservoir and method Expired - Lifetime US2919368A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL295189D NL295189A (fr) 1958-02-10
US714086A US2919368A (en) 1958-02-10 1958-02-10 Gaseous reservoir and method
FR1205781D FR1205781A (fr) 1958-02-10 1958-10-24 Réservoir de gaz
GB34895/58A GB849868A (en) 1958-02-10 1958-10-30 Method and apparatus for replenishing hydrogen gas in a hydrogen gas electric discharge device
US42018A US3098166A (en) 1958-02-10 1960-07-11 Gaseous reservoir and method
FR941342A FR83992E (fr) 1958-02-10 1963-07-12 Réservoir de gaz

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US714086A US2919368A (en) 1958-02-10 1958-02-10 Gaseous reservoir and method

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2919368A true US2919368A (en) 1959-12-29

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US714086A Expired - Lifetime US2919368A (en) 1958-02-10 1958-02-10 Gaseous reservoir and method

Country Status (4)

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US (1) US2919368A (fr)
FR (1) FR1205781A (fr)
GB (1) GB849868A (fr)
NL (1) NL295189A (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3076911A (en) * 1960-05-18 1963-02-05 Edgerton Germeshausen & Grier Method of and apparatus for the reduction of thermionic emission in discharge devices
US3098166A (en) * 1958-02-10 1963-07-16 Edgerton Germeshausen & Grier Gaseous reservoir and method
US3123739A (en) * 1960-08-16 1964-03-03 bergan
US3323003A (en) * 1964-07-20 1967-05-30 Goldie Harry Thyratron type microwave switching apparatus
US3324331A (en) * 1966-01-28 1967-06-06 Eg & G Inc Gaseous reservoir and heater for hydrogen thyratrons
US3328545A (en) * 1963-06-14 1967-06-27 Gen Electric Co Ltd Electrical device having sealed envelope and electrodes containing an absorbed gas

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2497911A (en) * 1945-08-03 1950-02-21 Gerard J Reilly Hydrogen thyratron
US2572881A (en) * 1946-04-22 1951-10-30 Rothstein Jerome Thyratron cathode design to prevent cleanup of hydrogen
US2766397A (en) * 1951-04-23 1956-10-09 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Hydrogen-filled electric discharge device
US2804563A (en) * 1954-01-19 1957-08-27 Machlett Lab Inc Electron tube generator

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2497911A (en) * 1945-08-03 1950-02-21 Gerard J Reilly Hydrogen thyratron
US2572881A (en) * 1946-04-22 1951-10-30 Rothstein Jerome Thyratron cathode design to prevent cleanup of hydrogen
US2766397A (en) * 1951-04-23 1956-10-09 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Hydrogen-filled electric discharge device
US2804563A (en) * 1954-01-19 1957-08-27 Machlett Lab Inc Electron tube generator

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3098166A (en) * 1958-02-10 1963-07-16 Edgerton Germeshausen & Grier Gaseous reservoir and method
US3076911A (en) * 1960-05-18 1963-02-05 Edgerton Germeshausen & Grier Method of and apparatus for the reduction of thermionic emission in discharge devices
US3123739A (en) * 1960-08-16 1964-03-03 bergan
US3328545A (en) * 1963-06-14 1967-06-27 Gen Electric Co Ltd Electrical device having sealed envelope and electrodes containing an absorbed gas
US3323003A (en) * 1964-07-20 1967-05-30 Goldie Harry Thyratron type microwave switching apparatus
US3324331A (en) * 1966-01-28 1967-06-06 Eg & G Inc Gaseous reservoir and heater for hydrogen thyratrons

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1205781A (fr) 1960-02-04
GB849868A (en) 1960-09-28
NL295189A (fr)

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