US3364387A - Radiation torch having an electrode for supplying and exhausting gas - Google Patents

Radiation torch having an electrode for supplying and exhausting gas Download PDF

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Publication number
US3364387A
US3364387A US461775A US46177565A US3364387A US 3364387 A US3364387 A US 3364387A US 461775 A US461775 A US 461775A US 46177565 A US46177565 A US 46177565A US 3364387 A US3364387 A US 3364387A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
gas
chamber
arc
electrode
nozzle
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US461775A
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English (en)
Inventor
John E Anderson
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.)
Union Carbide Corp
Original Assignee
Union Carbide Corp
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 Union Carbide Corp filed Critical Union Carbide Corp
Priority to US461775A priority Critical patent/US3364387A/en
Priority to BE681928D priority patent/BE681928A/xx
Priority to GB24754/66A priority patent/GB1123397A/en
Priority to BR180150/66A priority patent/BR6680150D0/pt
Priority to AT536366A priority patent/AT266257B/de
Priority to NO163319A priority patent/NO119810B/no
Priority to DE19661539595 priority patent/DE1539595B1/de
Priority to NL6607837A priority patent/NL6607837A/xx
Priority to CH820266A priority patent/CH443486A/fr
Priority to DK292466AA priority patent/DK127210B/da
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3364387A publication Critical patent/US3364387A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05H—PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
    • H05H1/00—Generating plasma; Handling plasma
    • H05H1/24—Generating plasma
    • H05H1/26—Plasma torches
    • H05H1/32—Plasma torches using an arc
    • H05H1/42—Plasma torches using an arc with provisions for introducing materials into the plasma, e.g. powder, liquid
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/24—Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the vessel
    • H01J61/28—Means for producing, introducing, or replenishing gas or vapour during operation of the lamp
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05H—PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
    • H05H1/00—Generating plasma; Handling plasma
    • H05H1/24—Generating plasma
    • H05H1/26—Plasma torches
    • H05H1/32—Plasma torches using an arc
    • H05H1/34—Details, e.g. electrodes, nozzles

Definitions

  • novel apparatus for producing an elongated source of heat and light.
  • Such apparatus comprises, in general, a tube of transparent material, such as quartz, providing an arc chamber; arc terminal electrodes positioned within such chamber in substantially concentric relation with the longitudinal axis of said chamber; one of said electrodes having a central gas exit passage in line with such axis; and inlet gas passage means for directing gas in a swirling path along the inner surface of said tube; said inlet passage means being located in proximity to the electrode having the central gas exit passage.
  • a critical feature of this invention lies in the arrangement whereby the gas is injected into the arc chamber in a swirling fashion from the end of the tube where the electrode having the central exit passage is located.
  • the swirling gas flows along the inner face of the tube forming the arc chamber toward the opposite end of the tube from whence the flow reverses itself and flows toward and out the central exit passage in a region of the central axis of the arc chamber.
  • This flow pattern results in a low pressure region at the axis of the arc chamber where the arc is maintained.
  • the phenomenon creating the low pressure region can be likened to a tornado.
  • its tangential velocity increases in accord with the natural tendency for momentum to be preserved, its centrifugal force increases accordingly, and the pressure gradient opposing this force causes the pressure to be lowest at the center.
  • the overall effect of this tornado phenomenon is the creation of an aerodynamic nozzle which restricts the cross sectional area of the arc and increases are stability.
  • the present invention achieves a long, extremely stable, high intensity are. Indeed, arcs 4 to inches in length have been achieved with current densities of 1000 amp/cm? or greater at substantial arc chamber pressures. Thus, there is a marked difference in the performance of the are when the gas is injected at the end of the chamber opposite the electrode having the central exit passage, or when the gas is injected from both ends of the chamber with a single gas exit passage.
  • the invention also contemplates the use of rare earths to increase the intensity of the are as a light source.
  • the rare earths can be injected into the system in the form of powder, or as is preferable, they may be injected in rod form.
  • the rod When being injected in rod form, the rod itself acts as the electrode opposite the electrode having the central gas exit passage.
  • FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view mainly in longitudinal vertical section of apparatus illustrative of the invention.
  • FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the torch taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;
  • FIGURE 3 is a graph of typical wave length/intensity conditions of operation of the torch with argon gas.
  • FIGURE 4 is characteristic spectrum showing the effect of rare earth injection into the argon gas are.
  • the illustrated apparatus generally comprises a torch T provided with an electrode 10 which is in axial alignment with a substantially flat ended nozzle electrode 12 and separated therefrom by a gas tight chamber 14. Electrode 10 is held by a suitable holder 16 providing a substantially flat annular surface facing the chamber 14. Both electrodes can be cooled through water cooling, for example. Electrode 10 is preferably constructed from an emissive material such as tungsten, or tungsten containing thoria, or as another alternative the insert electrode of copending ap plication Ser. No. 183,880 can be used. Nozzle electrode 12 is constructed of a good thermally conductive material, such as copper.
  • An are 18 is established and maintained by connecting power supply 20 to the electrodes. Direct current with straight or reverse polarity, as well as alternating current can be used. The are is initiated by any suitable means, such as high frequency starting, for example.
  • Chamber 14 is constructed of a shell such as tube 22, at least a portion of which is transparent. Quartz, for, example, may be used.
  • a long narrow intense are 18 that is extremely stable is achieved through the use of a novel form of swirl gas flow.
  • the mode of operation is to inject the gas so that it swirls about the inner face of tube 22 as it travels from one end of the chamber 14 to the other. Upon reaching the end opposite its entrance the flow, still swirling, reverses its direction and travels in close proximity to the arc.
  • the arc gas enters through inlet 24 into annulus 26 from whence it asses through a plurality of tangentially directed apertures orports 28 so as to impart a swirling motion to the gas as it proceeds toward the opposite end of the chamber 14 along the inner face of the tube 22.
  • the direction of gas flow reverses, and the gas travels back toward the nozzle end in close proximity to the are 18, still in the swirling vortex fashion.
  • the gas then exits through passage 30 in the nozzle electrode 12.
  • This gas flow pattern operates so as to function inlthe same manner as a tornado to create a low pressure region at the axial center of the chamber where the are 18 is running.
  • any inert gases selected from the class consisting of argon, xenon and krypton can be used.
  • FIGURE 3 shows typical torch operating conditions and the resulting intensities achieved at various wave lengths with argon gas.
  • a torch T of general type depicted in FIGURE 1 was used.
  • a tungsten button electrode was used in place of stick electrode 10.
  • the present invention also contemplates the use of rare earths in order to increase the brightness of the are so as to render the apparatus particularly useful as a light source. According to the invention this is preferably done by substituting a rare earth rod for the stick electrode 10. The rare earth rod would thus be acting as a consumable electrode. As the rod erodes away, the rare earth enters the arc to effectively increase the arcs brightness.
  • FIGURE 4 shows the effect of rare earth injection into an arc, wherein argon gas was fed to the chamber of FIG. 1.
  • the rare earth was fed in the form of a consumable electrode, replacing the stick electrode 10.
  • a radiation torch comprising in combination a quartz shell of substantially tubular shape, means providing arc electrodes adjacent the ends of said shell, one of said electrodes being located and shaped so as to maintain the corresponding end of the arc in the axial center of the chamber afforded by said shell, means supporting said are centering electrode providing a substantially flat annular surface facing such chamber the other electrode spaced at least 1 inch from said are centering electrode and being in the form of a nozzle having a central gas exit passage, said nozzle having a substantially flat ended portion projecting into such chamber in axially spaced relation to the inner surface of said shell, and also having an annular gas passage in communication with a plurality of tangentially arranged ports, representing the sole means, for discharging gas into such chamber means for supplying gas to such ports so that such gas follows a tornado like pattern with a swirling path along such surface, flowing first toward said are centering electrode, where the flow of gas reverses itself and flows toward and out of such central gas exit passage in said nozzle, resulting in a relatively low pressure
  • a radiation torch comprising; an elongated tubular envelope providing an arc chamber having transparent portion; means providing arc electrodes located adjacent the ends of such chamber and being spaced at least one inch apart, one of said electrodes being in the shape of a nozzle having a central gas exist passage; means for energizing an electric arc in the chamber between said electrodes, and means including a plurality of tangentially arranged inlet ports located only at said nozzle electrode end of the chamber for introducing arc gas through said chamber in the form of a tornado which sweeps as an outer stream from the nozzle electrode end of said chamber to the other end of said chamber along substantially the full length of the inner surface of said envelope and then reverses itself, flowing back as an inner stream within such outer stream to said central gas exit passage, concentrating said are adjacent the axial center of said chamber for substantially the entire length of the chamber.
  • a torch as defined by claim 3 in which said nozzle is surrounded by a substantially flat annular surface facing such chamber and wherein said gas inlet ports are located in the rim of said nozzle.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • Plasma Technology (AREA)
  • Discharge Lamp (AREA)
US461775A 1965-06-07 1965-06-07 Radiation torch having an electrode for supplying and exhausting gas Expired - Lifetime US3364387A (en)

Priority Applications (10)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US461775A US3364387A (en) 1965-06-07 1965-06-07 Radiation torch having an electrode for supplying and exhausting gas
BE681928D BE681928A (nl) 1965-06-07 1966-06-01
BR180150/66A BR6680150D0 (pt) 1965-06-07 1966-06-03 Tocha de irradiacao
GB24754/66A GB1123397A (en) 1965-06-07 1966-06-03 Radiation torch
AT536366A AT266257B (de) 1965-06-07 1966-06-06 Lichtbogenstrahler
NO163319A NO119810B (nl) 1965-06-07 1966-06-06
DE19661539595 DE1539595B1 (de) 1965-06-07 1966-06-06 Entladungslampe
NL6607837A NL6607837A (nl) 1965-06-07 1966-06-06
CH820266A CH443486A (fr) 1965-06-07 1966-06-07 Torche électrique et procédé pour sa mise en action
DK292466AA DK127210B (da) 1965-06-07 1966-06-07 Elektrisk buelampe og fremgangsmåde til drift af samme.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US461775A US3364387A (en) 1965-06-07 1965-06-07 Radiation torch having an electrode for supplying and exhausting gas

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3364387A true US3364387A (en) 1968-01-16

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ID=23833891

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US461775A Expired - Lifetime US3364387A (en) 1965-06-07 1965-06-07 Radiation torch having an electrode for supplying and exhausting gas

Country Status (10)

Country Link
US (1) US3364387A (nl)
AT (1) AT266257B (nl)
BE (1) BE681928A (nl)
BR (1) BR6680150D0 (nl)
CH (1) CH443486A (nl)
DE (1) DE1539595B1 (nl)
DK (1) DK127210B (nl)
GB (1) GB1123397A (nl)
NL (1) NL6607837A (nl)
NO (1) NO119810B (nl)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3597650A (en) * 1969-09-23 1971-08-03 Union Carbide Corp Arc radiation sources
US3663792A (en) * 1970-03-02 1972-05-16 Westinghouse Electric Corp Apparatus and method of increasing arc voltage and gas enthalpy in a self-stabilizing arc heater
US3671883A (en) * 1969-10-20 1972-06-20 Aga Ab Process and apparatus for effecting high gas flow in discharge tube of gas laser
US3807052A (en) * 1972-06-26 1974-04-30 Union Carbide Corp Apparatus for irradiation of a moving product in an inert atmosphere
US4147916A (en) * 1976-04-05 1979-04-03 Sirius Corporation Split-flow nozzle for energy beam system
US20040101635A1 (en) * 2002-04-19 2004-05-27 Duerr Systems Gmbh Method and device for curing a coating
US20100043729A1 (en) * 2008-08-20 2010-02-25 Thomas Edward Fairbairn Atmospheric electron particle beam generator
EP2258487A1 (de) * 2009-06-02 2010-12-08 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur photoinduzierten Aushärtung von mittels elektromagnetischer Strahlung aushärtbaren Polymeren

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3075065A (en) * 1960-10-04 1963-01-22 Adriano C Ducati Hyperthermal tunnel apparatus and electrical plasma-jet torch incorporated therein
US3153169A (en) * 1961-06-02 1964-10-13 Patent Treuhand Ges Fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen Mbh Discharge lamp
US3222568A (en) * 1963-09-18 1965-12-07 Owens Illinois Glass Co Control of plasma
US3255379A (en) * 1963-07-26 1966-06-07 Giannini Scient Corp Apparatus and method for generating light
US3292028A (en) * 1962-06-20 1966-12-13 Giannini Scient Corp Gas vortex-stabilized light source

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1245599A (fr) * 1958-09-08 1960-11-10 Union Carbide Corp Source lumineuse de forte intensité
NL282609A (nl) * 1962-10-08

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3075065A (en) * 1960-10-04 1963-01-22 Adriano C Ducati Hyperthermal tunnel apparatus and electrical plasma-jet torch incorporated therein
US3153169A (en) * 1961-06-02 1964-10-13 Patent Treuhand Ges Fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen Mbh Discharge lamp
US3292028A (en) * 1962-06-20 1966-12-13 Giannini Scient Corp Gas vortex-stabilized light source
US3255379A (en) * 1963-07-26 1966-06-07 Giannini Scient Corp Apparatus and method for generating light
US3222568A (en) * 1963-09-18 1965-12-07 Owens Illinois Glass Co Control of plasma

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3597650A (en) * 1969-09-23 1971-08-03 Union Carbide Corp Arc radiation sources
US3671883A (en) * 1969-10-20 1972-06-20 Aga Ab Process and apparatus for effecting high gas flow in discharge tube of gas laser
US3663792A (en) * 1970-03-02 1972-05-16 Westinghouse Electric Corp Apparatus and method of increasing arc voltage and gas enthalpy in a self-stabilizing arc heater
US3807052A (en) * 1972-06-26 1974-04-30 Union Carbide Corp Apparatus for irradiation of a moving product in an inert atmosphere
US4147916A (en) * 1976-04-05 1979-04-03 Sirius Corporation Split-flow nozzle for energy beam system
US20040101635A1 (en) * 2002-04-19 2004-05-27 Duerr Systems Gmbh Method and device for curing a coating
US7488518B2 (en) * 2002-04-19 2009-02-10 Duerr Systems Gmbh Method and device for curing a coating
US20100043729A1 (en) * 2008-08-20 2010-02-25 Thomas Edward Fairbairn Atmospheric electron particle beam generator
US9443634B2 (en) 2008-08-20 2016-09-13 Fripro Energy, Llc Atmospheric electron particle beam generator
EP2258487A1 (de) * 2009-06-02 2010-12-08 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur photoinduzierten Aushärtung von mittels elektromagnetischer Strahlung aushärtbaren Polymeren

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AT266257B (de) 1968-11-11
GB1123397A (en) 1968-08-14
NL6607837A (nl) 1966-12-08
DE1539595B1 (de) 1970-06-25
BE681928A (nl) 1966-12-01
DK127210B (da) 1973-10-01
BR6680150D0 (pt) 1973-07-17
CH443486A (fr) 1967-09-15
NO119810B (nl) 1970-07-06

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