SYSTEM FOR PLASMA IGNITION BY FAST VOLTAGE RISE

Title:

SYSTEM FOR PLASMA IGNITION BY FAST VOLTAGE RISE

Document Type and Number:

WIPO Patent Application WO1999020087

Kind Code:

A3

Abstract:

An improved system of igniting a plasma (3) can act by using a rapid voltage rise and thus cause ions (12) which may be pre-existing to create secondary electron emission or the like. In one embodiment, the voltage rise can be timed to be comparable to the transit time of the electrons across the plasma. It can also be arranged to achieve a voltage rise in less than 1000 microseconds, to result in a transition time which is less than one hundred times the transit time, to maximize the emission of secondary electrons, or even to merely result in collision energies ranging from 5 to 500 electron volts. The transition time can be controlled through an ignition control (9) which may be programmable, may involve charging output storage devices, or may involve delayed switching to supply the increased voltage to the plasma after the storage elements have been more fully charged.

Inventors:

DRUMMOND GEOFFREY D (US)
MCDONOUGH GEORGE (US)
SCHOLL RICHARD A (US)
KERR TIM (US)
HARPOLD JOHN G (US)

Application Number:

PCT/US1998/021534

Publication Date:

July 08, 1999

Filing Date:

October 13, 1998

Export Citation:

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Assignee:

ADVANCED ENERGY IND INC (US)
DRUMMOND GEOFFREY D (US)
MCDONOUGH GEORGE (US)
SCHOLL RICHARD A (US)
KERR TIM (US)
HARPOLD JOHN G (US)

International Classes:

H01J37/32; H05H1/46; (IPC1-7): B23K10/00

Foreign References:

US5535906A	1996-07-16
US5561350A	1996-10-01
US5645698A	1997-07-08
US4589398A	1986-05-20

Other References: