US3526080A

US3526080A - Atomic energy dust trapping device

Info

Publication number: US3526080A
Application number: US445636A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alexander M Senkewich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-04-05
Filing date: 1965-04-05
Publication date: 1970-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 1987-09-01

Description

Sept 1970 A. M. sENKEwlcH ATOMIC ENERGY DUST TRAPPING DEVICE Filed April 5. 1965 INVENTOR.

,fexam/f Fig.9

Fig.6

United States Patent O U.S. Cl. '5-102 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dust collecting screen operated by voltage from an atomic battery.

Dust of any composition found suspended in air has its own static charge of one or another polarity. This dust will tend to settle on any object charged with opposite polarity by an electric current. As a result of this principle, the dust which at the present time enters the room through open windows may be settled outside.

Referring to the figures, it will be seen that:

FIG. 1 is a front View of the frame having reinforced insulators and stretched wires.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 41-41 of FIG. 4 showing the assembled generator.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 40-40 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the plate with the electrode.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the same.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the second electrode with a container for the radioactive substance.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the same.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a section of the 'Wall of the generators case.

A window frame 111 (FIG. l and FIG. 2) is constructed of any insulating material (wood for example) corresponding to the size of the window or part of it. From one side of this frame a row of wires 13 with a certain spacing between them is fastened to the insulators 12 in the longitudinal or transverse direction. The distance between the wires depen-ds upon the magnitude of voltage developed by the generator. The higher the voltage, the smaller may be the distance between the wires of one polarity. The wire must be clean and without insulation. It is desirable that the wire be coated with a metal that does not easily oxidize, silver for example. All wires are connected between each other in parallel and the plus side of the DC voltage source is connected to them. From the other side of the frame a row of Wires 14 is fastened also to the insulators 15 in the same direction. The wires are positioned not opposite the first ones, but between them. These wires are also connected between each other in parallel and the minus side of high DC voltage source is connected to them. Here a low current intensity on the order of a few microamperes is quite suflicient. In order to trap dust on the wires a high voltage atomic generator constructed on the following principle is applied.

As is known, the splitting of the atoms of a radioactive substance (strontium, uranium, and others or their isotopes) is accompanied by a stream of electrons. If a metallic plate is placed in the path of motion of these electrons, then this plate will be subjected to an electron bombardment and the electrons will settle on the plate. As a result of such electron bombardment the plate is heated somewhat and a charge of negative polarity is transferred to it by the electrons since electrons carry a charge only of negative polarity. According to the principle of utilizing electrons whose stream is observed as a result of splitting a radioactive substance, a high voltage atomic generator of the following construction is proposed.

lCC

CONSTRUCTION OF THE ATOMIC GENERATOR A case made of good insulating material consisting of two compartmentsupper 16 and lower 17-is taken. The cover has the edge 18 tightly fitting the corresponding groove y19 (FIG. 9) of the case, thus creating a tight and reliable fitting. The

fixed insulators

20 and 21 pass through the centers of the cover and the bottom of the case, whose punch-through capability is calculated in accordance with the corresponding high voltage. Threaded metallic electrodes pass inside the insulators. The upper-external end of the upper electrode 22 will serve at the same time as a sink of current of negative polarity. To its internal end, however, a plate 24 (round in shape for example) made of silver, molybdenum or other metal is attached. This plate will appear as though it was one of the envelopes of a common condenser. This plate will be charged by an electric current of negative polarity since it will be directly and continuously subjected to the electron bornbardment whose stream will be created as a result of splitting the radioactive substance. As was mentioned above, the insulator 21, inside of which an electrode 23 is placed, passes through the center of the bottom of the case. A metallic container-cup 25 with inclined walls containing the radioactive substance is fastened to the internal end of this electrode. The container is positioned under the plate and at some distance from it. The diameter of the upper circumference of the container 25 is taken to be smaller than the diameter of the plate 24. The inclination of the walls of the container 25 is taken so as to direct the electron stream only onto the surface of the plate. Thus the upper electrode 22 and the attached plate 24 will possess the negative polarity of the electric current; the lower electrode 23 and the attached container 25 containing the radioactive substance will possess the positive polarity. The faster the flow of electrons, the more energetic will be the bombardment of the plate 24 and the higher will be the potential of the plate 24 charged by the electrons. In this way the increasing voltage may reach a magnitude when a spark will appear between the container and the plate creating a short circuit. In order to avoid such a phenomenon :and to create a charge of fixed voltage on the plate, a discharger is introduced. One stern 26 of the discharger is fastened to the lower electrode 23 near the container 25 with the radioactive substance, and the second stem 27 of the discharger is fastened to the rod 28 which is fastened to the plate 24 of the upper electrode 22. Thus if the voltage exceeds a fixed calculated amount, then the current will discharge through the spark between the ends of the stems of the discharger. The external end of the lower electrode 23` will serve as a current sink of positive polarity. The above described case made of insulating material containing the assembled generator is placed on the support-insulators 29.

This case is fitted into the second case which is made of lead. The supports of the first case are fastened to the bottom of the second case in order to preserve a constant distance between the walls of both cases. The construction of the second case is analogous to that of the first, which is: the tenon of the upper part of the case is tightly fitted into the bottom part of the case. In each case the top and the bottom are fastened by the screws in four places. 'Ihe first case has fasteners 31 and the second-32. The dust which has been settled on the wires of the window frame may be removed with the common vacuum cleaner. The removal of the dust from the surface of the wires may be accomplished also by switching the polarity of the current to the Wires; i.e. direct into those wires which were and direct into those wires which rwere The dust will then separate from the wires and fall into the bag. Thus in places where the proposed installation is utilized, clean air, uncontaminated by suspended particles, Will pass through the open Windows into the living quarters, which is particularly important for hospitals.

The distinctive pecularities of the atomic generator consist of the following:

(1) The proposed generator does not require external power for its operation.

(2) The proposed generator will itself generate high voltage, which will be generated for tens of years-as long as the decomposition of the radioactive substance will preserve its intensity of emission of electrons.

(3) The proposed generator is portable and does not require any special maintenance.

(4) The proposed generator is insensitive to any internal temperature variations.V

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for removing dust from a uid comprising:

(a) a screen;

(b) said screen comprising a rectangular frame having a first and a second side and having an opening therethrough extending from said first side to said second side for the passage of dust ladened fiuid therethrough, said frame being made from an electrically insulating material;

(c) said screen ffurther comprising a first series of spaced apart electrically conducting Wires which are substantially parallel with one another, a second series of spaced apart electrically conducting wires which are substantially parallel to said lirst series of wires, said first series of wires being mounted on said first side of said frame by first insulator means for electrically insulating said first series of Wires from said frame, said second set of wires being mounted on said second side of said frame by second insulator means for electrically insulating said second series of lwires from said frame, said first and second series of wires extending all the way across said opening, the first series of wires being staggered transversely with respect to the corresponding wire of the second series of wires;

(d) an atomic battery;

(e) said atomic battery comprising a positive electrode spaced apart from a negative electrode, said positive electrode formed in the shape of a container having fiaring sides which flare and extend toward said negative electrode, said container containing a radioactive substance which emits a stream of electrons, said positive electrode further comprising a first sharp point disposed outside of the path of said stream of electrons, said negative electrode comprising a plate located n the path of said stream of electrons, said negative electrode further comprising an element having a second sharp point extending from said negative electrode toward said positive electrode and said first sharp point at a point outside of the path of said stream of electrons, said element constructed and arranged in such a manner that the second sharp point is spaced apart from said first sharp point; and (f) first electrically conducting means connecting said negative electrode to said first series of Wires and second electrically conducting means connecting said positive electrode to said second series of wires.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said atomic battery further comprises a first insulating box surrounding said electrodes, a second lead box surrounding said first box, both said first and second boxes having cover portions and base portions, the respective cover portion being fastened to the respective base portion by fastening means, said fastening means including a tongue and groove joint between the respective cover portion and base portion.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first box is spaced apart from said second box by support-insulators.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 Vwherein said first and second sharp points are disposed below the apex of said conical cup.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said radio active substance is molybdenum.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container comprises a conical cup with its base being disposed above its apex.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,059,253 4/1913 Wimbish 55-151 1,428,839 9/1922 ,Fortescue 55-151 X 2,837,666 6/1958 Linder 310-3 2,858,459 10/1958 Schwarz 310-3 2,908,348 10/1959 Rivers et al. 55-132 2,343,338 3/1944 Steel 55-279 X 2,479,882 8/ 1949 Wallhausen et al Z50-106 2,511,958 6/1950 Williams 217-56 2,588,111 3/1952 Hanneman 55-132 2,633,542 3/ 1953 Coleman.

2,671,817 3/ 1954 Groddeck 136-202 2,720,582 10/ 1955 Linder et al. 250-17 2,789,241 4/ 1957 Frey 313-61 2,803,368 8/1957 Koch 220-4 2,847,082 8./1958 Roos 55-132 2,934,887 5/ 1960 Keller 58-28 OTHER REFERENCES AD 72778, Armed Services Technical Information Agency, Arlington Hall Station, Arlington, Va., Nuclear Batteries (Seventh Quarterly Progress Report) Ian. 15, 1954-Apr. 15, 1954, Signal Corps Contract No. DA 36- 039 SC-42564, Radiation Research Corporation, 526-528 Northwood Road, West Palm Beach, Fla., Received Aug. 15, 1962, p. 16.

-RCA Atomic Battery, Radio Corporation of America, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 20, N Y., Received Apr. 5, 1954, p. 9.

DENNIS E. TALBERT, IR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.