Low temperature plasma incinerator and method of stabilizing impedance therein

Claim 2

In a method of incinerating organic material in a low temperature plasma incinerator wherein a plasma-forming incinerating gas is fed into an enclosed incinerating zone containing said material and is converted into a low temperature plasma by means of a high frequency electric field passing through said zone while the zone is maintained under a high vacuum by communication with a vacuum source, and the amount of such gas is varied during the course of incineration, the improvement of introducing downstream of said zone a secondary gas in an amount sufficient to maintain in said incinerator zone a substantially constant level of vacuum during the incineration.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said incineration temperature is between about 100*-200* C.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein said high vacuum is not higher than about 10 Torr.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of the secondary gas introduced downstream of said incinerating zone exceeds that of the oxygen supplied to the incinerating zone.

Claim 6

In a low temperature plasma incinerator for organic materials which includes at least one ceramic incinerator reaction tube for containing the material to be incinerated and having inlet and outlet ports, means for supplying gaseous oxygen to said inlet port, conduit means for connecting said outlet port to a high vacuum source, and means for creating a high frequency electric fielD within each such tube for converting said oxygen to low temperature plasma and comprising at least one pair of electrode plates arranged on opposite exterior sides of said tube, each such pair of plates being in opposed spaced relation with said tube therebetween, and means for connecting said plates to a high frequency high voltage electrical source, the improvement of a secondary inlet port in said conduit between said reaction tube outlet port and said high vacuum source connected to a source of secondary gas, and adjustable valve means for controlling the amount of secondary gas admitted through said secondary inlet port, whereby variations in the quantity of oxygen supplied to said tube can be compensated by admission of the secondary gas to maintain the tube under substantially constant vacuum.

Claim 7

In a low temperature plasma incinerator for organic materials which includes at least one ceramic incinerator reaction tube for containing the material to be incinerated and having inlet and outlet ports, means for supplying gaseous oxygen to said inlet port, conduit means for connecting said outlet port to a high vacuum source, and means for creating a high frequency electric fielD within each such tube for converting said oxygen to low temperature plasma and comprising at least one pair of electrode plates arranged on opposite exterior sides of said tube, each such pair of plates being in opposed spaced relation with said tube therebetween, and means for connecting said plates to a high frequency high voltage electrical source, the improvement of a secondary inlet port in said conduit between said reaction tube outlet port and said high vacuum source connected to a source of secondary gas, and adjustable valve means for controlling the amount of secondary gas admitted through said secondary inlet port, whereby variations in the quantity of oxygen supplied to said tube can be compensated by admission of the secondary gas to maintain the tube under substantially constant vacuum.

Claim 8

The incinerator of claim 5 wherein each such tube is generally tubular shaped and said electrode plates are arcuately curved around opposite peripheral segments of said tube.