Arc-heater apparatus with magnetic yoke

Claim 1

IN ARC-HEATING APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE ENTHALPY OF A GAS, THE COMBINATION OF: A FIRST ELECTRODE; A SECOND ELECTRODE COMPRISING A MAGNETIC MATERIAL SPACED FROM AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE FIRST ELECTRODE WHEREBY AN ARC PATH SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODES IS FORMED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODES; MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY ALIGNED PRESSURE RINGS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODES TO FORM AN ARC CHAMBER, THE INNER DIAMETER OF THE RINGS BEING GREATER THAN THE OUTER DIAMETERS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODES; GAS INLET MEANS FOR ADMITTING GAS INTO SAID ARC CHAMBER; MEANS FOR SUSTAINING AN ARC BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODES WITHIN SAID ARC CHAMBER; AND A MAGNETIC CIRCUIT INCLUDING SAID SECOND ELECTRODE, A YOKE COMPRISING A MAGNETIC MATERIAL EXTENDING FROM SAID SECOND ELECTRODE TO THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF SAID PRESSURE RINGS, AND MAGNETIC FIELD PRODUCING MEANS AT A PRESELECTED POSITION IN THE MAGNETIC CIRCUIT TO PROVIDE A MAGNETIC FIELD IN SAID ARC CHAMBER, THE MAGNETIC LINES OF FORCE EXTENDING FROM THE YOKE SURFACE ADJACENT THE PRESSURE RINGS TO THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF THE SECOND ELECTRODE THEREBY PRODUCING A MAGNETIC FIELD SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE TO THE ARC BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES.