Patents by Inventor Loucas G. Christophorou
Loucas G. Christophorou has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 4970434Abstract: This disclosure identifies dielectric liquids for use as opening and closing switching media in pulsed power technology, and describes a dielectric-liquid-pulsed-power switch empolying flashlamps.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 1989Date of Patent: November 13, 1990Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, Homer Faidas
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Patent number: 4937500Abstract: An improvement to the gas mixture used in diffuse glow discharge closing switches is disclosed which includes binary and ternary gas mixtures which are formulated to exhibit decreasing electron attachment with increasing temperature. This increases the efficiency of the conductance of the glow discharge and further inhibits the formation of an arc.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1988Date of Patent: June 26, 1990Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, Scott R. Hunter
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Patent number: 4896076Abstract: Highly efficient binary and ternary gas mixtures for use in diffuse glow discharge closing switches are disclosed. The binary mixtures are combinations of helium or neon and selected perfluorides. The ternary mixtures are combinations of helium, neon, or argon, a selected perfluoride, and a small amount of gas that exhibits enhanced ionization characteristics. These mixtures are shown to be the optimum choices for use in diffuse glow discharge closing switches by virtue of the combined physio-electric properties of the mixture components.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1988Date of Patent: January 23, 1990Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Scott R. Hunter, Loucas G. Christophorou
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Patent number: 4792724Abstract: Gas mixtures for use in spark gap closing switches comprised of fluorocarbons and low molecular weight, inert buffer gases. To this can be added a third gas having a low ionization potential relative to the buffer gas. The gas mixtures presented possess properties that optimized the efficiency spark gap closing switches.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1987Date of Patent: December 20, 1988Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, Dennis L. McCorkle, Scott R. Hunter
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Patent number: 4751428Abstract: A new diffuse discharge gas switch wherein a mixture of gases is used to take advantage of desirable properties of the respective gases. There is a conducting gas, an insulating gas, and a third gas that has low ionization energy resulting in a net increase in the number of electrons available to produce a current.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 1986Date of Patent: June 14, 1988Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, Scott R. Hunter
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Patent number: 4743807Abstract: The invention is a gas mixture for a diffuse discharge switch which is capable of changing from a conducting state to an insulating state in the presence of electrons upon the introduction of laser light. The mixture is composed of a buffer gas such as nitrogen or argon and an electron attaching gas such as C.sub.6 H.sub.5 SH, C.sub.6 H.sub.5 SCH.sub.3, CH.sub.3 CHO and CF.sub.3 CHO wherein the electron attachment is brought on by indirect excitation of molecules to long-lived states by exposure to laser light.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 1987Date of Patent: May 10, 1988Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, Scott R. Hunter
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Patent number: 4490650Abstract: Gaseous medium in a diffuse-discharge switch of a high-energy pulse generator is formed of argon combined with a compound selected from the group consisting of CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, C.sub.3 F.sub.8, n-C.sub.4 F.sub.10, WF.sub.6, (CF.sub.3).sub.2 S and (CF.sub.3).sub.2 O.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1982Date of Patent: December 25, 1984Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, James G. Carter, Scott R. Hunter
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Patent number: 4480147Abstract: A contaminant trap for a gas-insulated electrical conductor is provided. A resinous dielectric body such as Kel-F wax, grease or other sticky polymeric or oligomeric compound is disposed on the inside wall of the outer housing for the conductor. The resinous body is sufficiently sticky at ambient temperatures to immobilize contaminant particles in the insulating gas on the exposed surfaces thereof. An electric resistance heating element is disposed in the resinous body to selectively raise the temperature of the resinous body to a molten state so that the contaminant particles collected on the surface of the body sink into the body so that the surface of the resinous body is renewed to a particle-less condition and, when cooled, returns to a sticky collecting surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 1983Date of Patent: October 30, 1984Assignee: United States Department of EnergyInventors: James L. Adcock, Marshall O. Pace, Loucas G. Christophorou
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Patent number: 4464417Abstract: Electrical breakdown of a gas insulator in high voltage apparatus is preved by placing an electrical insulative coating on contaminant particles in the gas insulator.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 1983Date of Patent: August 7, 1984Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of EnergyInventors: Marshall O. Pace, James L. Adcock, Loucas G. Christophorou
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Patent number: 4309307Abstract: Improved binary and ternary gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one molecular gas or mixture of two molecular gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a noble gas having a very small cross section at and below about 1.0 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electric field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 1980Date of Patent: January 5, 1982Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, Dennis L. McCorkle, David V. Maxey, James G. Carter
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Patent number: 4257905Abstract: Gaseous insulators comprise compounds having high attachment cross sections for electrons having energies in the 0-1.3 electron volt range. Multi-component gaseous insulators comprise compounds and mixtures having overall high electron attachment cross sections in the 0-1.3 electron volt range and moderating gases having high cross sections for inelastic interactions with electrons of energies 1-4 electron volts. Suitable electron attachment components include hexafluorobutyne, perfluorobutene-2, perfluorocyclobutane, perfluorodimethylcyclobutane, perfluorocyclohexene, perfluoromethylcyclohexane, hexafluorobutadiene, perfluoroheptene-1 and hexafluoroazomethane. Suitable moderating gases include N.sub.2, CO, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2. The gaseous insulating mixture can also contain SF.sub.6, perfluoropropane and perfluorobenzene.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1979Date of Patent: March 24, 1981Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, David R. James, Marshall O. Pace, Robert Y. Pai
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Patent number: 4201692Abstract: Improved binary and tertiary gas mixtures for gas-filled particle detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one gas or mixture of two gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a gas (Ar) having a very small cross section at and below aout 0.5 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electron field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1979Date of Patent: May 6, 1980Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, Dennis L. McCorkle, David V. Maxey, James G. Carter
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Patent number: 4175048Abstract: Gaseous insulators comprise compounds having high attachment cross sections for electrons having energies in the 0-1.3 electron volt range. Multi-component gaseous insulators comprise compounds and mixtures having overall high electron attachment cross sections in the 0-1.3 electron volt range and moderating gases having high cross sections for inelastic interactions with electrons of energies 1-4 electron volts. Suitable electron attachment components include hexafluorobutyne, perfluorobutene-2, perfluorocyclobutane, perfluorodimethylcyclobutane, perfluorocyclohexene, perfluoromethylcyclohexane, hexafluorobutadiene, perfluoroheptene-1 and hexafluoroazomethane. Suitable moderating gases include N.sub.2, CO, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2. The gaseous insulating mixture can also contain SF.sub.6, perfluoropropane and perfluorobenzene.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 1977Date of Patent: November 20, 1979Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Loucas G. Christophorou, David R. James, Marshall O. Pace, Robert Y. Pai