Abstract A method and apparatus for enhancing the amount of electrical power which can be uniformly deposited in a flowing gas are disclosed. The systems involve the use of a baffle array upstream of the discharge region to suitably alter the velocity distribution of the gas stream prior to the deposition of electrical power to compensate for the velocity nonuniformities occurring in the flow during the power deposition process. The velocity profile across the gas stream in the discharge region is more uniform with an optimized baffle array and the amount of power is increased accordingly. The invention is discussed in terms of an embodiment having four rotatable baffles each having a precise orientation with respect to the flow which is determined empirically. The invention herein described was made in the course of or under a contract or subcontract thereunder with the Department of the Navy.
Inventors
👤 Alan C Eckbreth
👤 Frank S Owen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-10-25 05:31
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05H; H05H1/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
In an electric discharge apparatus having a conduit in which a substantially uniform plasma can be established in a stream of gas flowing through a discharge region within the conduit the improvement comprising: a baffle array comprising a plurality of individually rotatable baffle plates located in the conduit and upstream of the discharge region to cause blockage to the localized regions in the flowing stream and thereby produce a substantially uniform velocity profile across the gas stream in the discharge region.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
81 words
In an electric discharge apparatus having a conduit in which a substantially uniform plasma can be established in a stream of gas flowing through a discharge region within the conduit the improvement comprising: a baffle array comprising a plurality of individually rotatable baffle plates located in the conduit and upstream of the discharge region to cause blockage to the localized regions in the flowing stream and thereby produce a substantially uniform velocity profile across the gas stream in the discharge region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention according to claim 1 wherein the baffle plates have a porosity in the range of 5 to 20 percent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
In an electric discharge apparatus capable of maintaining a uniform glow mode plasma in a gas flowed through a discharge region therein, the improvement for increasing the amount of electrical power deposition in the gas without the discharge collapsing into an arc comprising: a baffle element rotatably mounted in the gas flow upstream of the discharge region and having a porosity between 5 and 15 percent.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
In an electric discharge apparatus capable of maintaining a uniform glow mode plasma in a gas flowed through a discharge region therein, the improvement for increasing the amount of electrical power deposition in the gas without the discharge collapsing into an arc comprising: a baffle element rotatably mounted in the gas flow upstream of the discharge region and having a porosity between 5 and 15 percent.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
111 words
In a stream of flowing laser gas which is subjected to an electric discharge in a duct having no impediments to gas flow in the electric discharge, the method of maintaining a substantially uniform velocity profile across the gas throughout the region of the discharge including the steps of: flowing the gas into the duct with a substantially uniform velocity profile; establishing the electric discharge across the gas in the discharge region of the duct; and introducing select velocity perturbations to localized regions in the flowing gas at a station upstream of the discharge region to compensate for velocity perturbations which occur in the gas while passing through the discharge region.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
111 words
In a stream of flowing laser gas which is subjected to an electric discharge in a duct having no impediments to gas flow in the electric discharge, the method of maintaining a substantially uniform velocity profile across the gas throughout the region of the discharge including the steps of: flowing the gas into the duct with a substantially uniform velocity profile; establishing the electric discharge across the gas in the discharge region of the duct; and introducing select velocity perturbations to localized regions in the flowing gas at a station upstream of the discharge region to compensate for velocity perturbations which occur in the gas while passing through the discharge region.