Abstract: A plasma generating electrode of the present invention includes a pair of unit electrodes 2, each of the pair of unit electrodes 2 including a plate-like ceramic body 19 and a conductive film 12 disposed inside the ceramic body 19 and including a plurality of protrusions 13 on a front surface, the pair of unit electrodes 2 constituting a basic unit 1 by being hierarchically layered at intervals corresponding to thickness of the protrusion 13 in a state that a plurality of spaces which are open on each end in the arrangement direction of the protrusion are formed, the basic units 1 constituting an electrode unit in which the basic units 1 are hierarchically layered at intervals corresponding to the thickness of the protrusion 13, and the plasma generating electrode being capable of generating plasma in the three-dimensionally arranged spaces V upon application of voltage between the unit electrodes 2 constituting the electrode unit.

Abstract: A plasma reactor is provided with two or more plasma generating electrodes which are installed in series inside a gas passage in a casing, with each plasma generating electrode being electrically controlled independently. The surface area of the conductor on each unit electrode forming the plasma generating electrode installed on the upstream side of the gas passage is smaller than the surface area of the conductor on the unit electrode forming the plasma generating electrode installed on the downstream side of the gas passage. Plasma can be generated between each of the unit electrodes by supplying each of the plasma generating electrodes with independently controlled electric power. The plasma reactor can efficiently react specific components contained in the gas passing through the gas passage.

Abstract: A plasma generating electrode 1 of the present invention includes two or more electrodes 2 disposed to face each other, and holding members 3 for holding electrodes 2 at a predetermined interval, and can generate plasma by applying voltage between electrodes 2. At least one of electrodes facing each other 2 has a plate-shaped ceramic body 6 serving as a dielectric body, and a conductive film 7 disposed inside the body 6, and the holding members 3 fix the opposite side end portions 5 (fixed end portions 5a) of electrodes facing each other 2 in the state of a cantilever in such a condition that electrodes 2 are held by holding members in the state of cantilevers of the different directions alternately at a predetermined interval as a whole. This relaxes the thermal stress and effectively prevents distortion and breakage of electrodes caused by to a temperature change.

Abstract: There is provided a workpiece supply/conveyance device that can remove a workpiece from a spindle and supply another workpiece to the spindle smoothly and in a short time. A workpiece holding section of one of a plurality of arms includes an unmachined workpiece holding section 29 for holding an unmachined workpiece and a machined workpiece holding section 21 for holding a machined workpiece.

Abstract: An exhaust gas treating apparatus 1 includes; a case body 2 and a plasma producing means 3 capable of producing plasma inside the case body 2 and treats the substances to be treated contained in the exhaust gas by the plasma producing means 3. The plasma producing means 3 has one or more each of a pulse electrode 4 and a ground electrode 5 that are oppositely disposed in the case body 2 and has a pulse power source 6 capable of feeding a pulse current to the pulse electrode 4 by switching frequency and/or voltage for different values at predetermined time intervals. The substances to be treated contained in the exhaust gas can selectively be treated by switching frequency and/or voltage value for different values at predetermined time intervals so that plasma of a kind adequate for the substances to be treated contained in an exhaust gas is produced between the pulse electrode 4 and the ground electrode 5.

Abstract: A plasma generating electrode 1 of the present invention includes a plurality of unit electrodes 2 hierarchically layered at predetermined intervals, the unit electrodes 2 including a deficient unit electrode 2b in which a conductive film 4 has an absent portion and a normal unit electrode 2a in which the conductive film 4 does not have an absent portion. Spaces V formed between the unit electrodes 2 include a normal space Va formed so that the distance between conductive films 4 corresponds to the distance between the unit electrodes 2 and a deficient space Vb formed so that the distance between the conductive films 4 is greater than the distance between the conductive films 4 in the normal space Va. The plasma generating electrode 1 of the present invention can efficiently treat a plurality of predetermined components contained in a treatment target fluid by utilizing different types of plasma suitable for respective reactions by causing the treatment target fluid to flow only once.

Abstract: A plasma generating electrode 1 of the invention includes at least a pair of electrodes 5, at least one electrode 5a of the pair of electrodes 5 including a plate-like ceramic body 2 as a dielectric and a plurality of conductive films 3 disposed in the ceramic body 2 and each having a plurality of through-holes 4 formed through the conductive film 3 in its thickness direction in a predetermined arrangement pattern, the through-holes 4 having a cross-sectional shape including an arc shape along a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction, an arrangement pattern of the through-holes 4a formed in at least one conductive film 3a being different from an arrangement pattern of the through-holes 4b formed in the other conductive film 3b. The plasma generating electrode 1 is capable of simultaneously generating different states of plasma upon application of voltage between the pair of electrodes 5 due to the different arrangement patterns of the through-holes 4 in the conductive films 3.

Abstract: A plasma generating electrode of the invention present includes at least a pair of electrodes 5, at least one electrode 5a of the pair of electrodes 5 including a plate-like ceramic body 2 as a dielectric and a conductive film 3 disposed inside the ceramic plate 2 and having a plurality of through-holes 4 formed through the conductive film 3 in its thickness direction, the through-holes having a cross-sectional shape including an arc shape along a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction. The plasma generating electrode can generate uniform and stable plasma at low power consumption.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a main body that has an inlet for a purification target gas and an outlet for a purified gas, an insulator honeycomb that includes a plurality of cells that are partitioned by a partition wall and serve as gas passages, a conductor honeycomb that is disposed to be able to transmit heat to the insulator honeycomb, a discharge electrode that is disposed opposite to the conductor honeycomb and forms a pair of electrodes with the conductor honeycomb, and a pulse power supply that applies a pulse voltage between the pair of electrodes, the insulator honeycomb, the conductor honeycomb, and the discharge electrode being disposed in an inner space of the main body. The plasma processing apparatus generates plasma by applying a pulse voltage to promote purification of the purification target gas in the insulator honeycomb by utilizing heat generated by plasma.

Abstract: A plasma generating electrode capable of generating plasma with a high energy level by using a small amount of electric power is provided. The plasma generating electrode includes at least a pair of unit electrodes including a unit electrode as an anode and a unit electrode as a cathode, and can generate plasma by applying voltage, the unit electrode as an anode and the unit electrode as a cathode being disposed facing each other, and at least the unit electrode as an anode having a plate-like ceramic dielectric and a conductive film disposed in the ceramic dielectric, wherein the unit electrode as a cathode can emit secondary electrons in a number five times or greater than the number of cations (primary particles) which it receives when the cations produced in the process of plasma generation collide therewith.

Abstract: A plasma generating electrode according to the invention includes at least two opposing plate-shaped unit electrodes 2, each having a rectangular surface and four end faces, and a holding member 5 which holds at least one (fixed end 6) of a pair of parallel ends (pair of ends) of four ends of the unit electrode 2 corresponding to the four end faces, at least one of the opposing unit electrodes 2 being a conductive-film-containing electrode 8 including a ceramic body 3 and a conductive film 4, and a distance “a” (mm) from an edge of the conductive film 4 to an edge of the ceramic body 3 on the other pair of parallel ends (other pair of ends 9) of the four ends of the conductive-film-containing electrode 8 adjacent to the pair of ends and a thickness “c” (mm) of the ceramic body 3 satisfying a relationship “(c/2)?a?5c”. The plasma generating electrode 1 is effectively prevented from breaking due to thermal shock.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a plasma reaction section that includes a pair of tabular electrodes facing each other arranged with an opening and generates plasma in a discharge section between the pair of tabular electrodes upon application of a voltage between the pair of tabular electrodes so that a first gas that passes through the discharge section is made to undergo a reaction, each of the pair of tabular electrodes including a ceramic dielectric and a conductor buried in the ceramic dielectric, and a heat-supplying gas circulation section that is stacked adjacently to the plasma reaction section and is integrally formed with the plasma reaction section, the heat-supplying gas circulation section applying heat of a second gas that passes through to the plasma reaction section to promote the reaction of the first gas.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a honeycomb electrode in which a plurality of cells that function as gas passages are partitioned by a partition wall, and a discharge electrode. The honeycomb electrode includes a first gas circulation section that allows a first gas to pass through, and a second gas circulation section that allows a second gas to pass through. The plasma reactor causes the first gas introduced into the first gas circulation section of the honeycomb electrode through the space between the electrodes to undergo a reaction while causing a plasma discharge between the honeycomb electrode and the discharge electrode, and allows the second gas to be introduced into the second gas circulation section of the honeycomb electrode to transfer heat of the second gas to the first gas circulation section to promote the reaction of the first gas.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a first tabular electrode, a plural second tabular electrodes that are disposed in parallel at given intervals perpendicularly to the first electrode, a honeycomb structure disposed between the first electrode and each of the plural second electrodes, and a pulse power supply that applies an electrical pulse between the first electrode and each of the plural second electrodes.

Abstract: The ceramic plasma reactor includes: a plurality of unit electrodes each of which comprises a plate-shaped ceramic dielectric body 4 and a conductive film 3 embedded in the ceramic dielectric body superimposing them each other with a gap which works as a discharge portion 11, and preferably being formed by sandwiching one unit electrode 2b having no through holes 15 by two unit electrodes having plural through holes 2a there between. A partition wall plate 9 is provided by facing one of unit electrodes on a side opposite to the gap and being held by a holding member 7 at a predetermined distance so as to form there between a gas introducing-circulating portion 21 for introducing and circulating gas in the through-holes 15 so as to send gas introduced to the gap between the unit electrodes as a discharge portion by applying a voltage thereto to generate plasma.

Abstract: A plasma generation electrode capable of subjecting predetermined components contained in a fluid to be treated to their respective reaction treatments with plasmas having different intensities optimized on a reaction basis, by passing merely once the fluid to be treated, is provided. In the plasma generation electrode, a unit electrode is composed of a tabular ceramic material serving as a dielectric material and an electrically conductive film disposed in the inside of the ceramic material, a plurality of unit electrodes are layered at a constant spacing, the distance between the electrically conductive films disposed in the unit electrodes adjacent to each other is varied partly or the dielectric constant of the ceramic material constituting the unit electrode is varied partly, and plasmas having different intensities can be generated partly in the spaces.

Abstract: A natural circulation circuit includes an evaporator surrounding a heat radiating portion of a Stirling refrigerating machine to absorb heat of the heat radiating portion through evaporation of a coolant, a condenser arranged to be higher than the evaporator to condense the coolant having gas phase, a conduit guiding the coolant from the evaporator to the condenser, and a return pipe returning the liquefied coolant from the condenser to the evaporator. In the evaporator a distance between an opening of the return pipe and an inner circumferential surface of the evaporator is smaller than that between an opening of the conduit and the inner circumferential surface.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a Stirling refrigerating machine having a high-temperature heat radiation portion and a low-temperature heat absorption portion and for cooling a freezing compartment, and a compressor for circulating a first refrigerant through a first circulation circuit having a cooling compartment evaporator. The high-temperature heat radiation portion is in contact with a first circulation spiral portion formed in the first circulation circuit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma reactor which can suppress deactivation of components (active components) activated by plasma when causing exhaust gas to flow through a plasma generating space to ensure efficient reaction between the active components and particulate matter, whereby the particulate matter can be efficiently purified via reaction. The plasma reactor includes a plasma reactor main body 1, a positive electrode 11 disposed on an inlet side 2 of the plasma reactor main body 1, a conductive honeycomb filter 21 disposed so that a filter inlet side 22 faces an outlet side 3 of the plasma reactor main body 1, and a pulse power supply 31 which is connected with the positive electrode 11 and the honeycomb filter 21 and is capable of applying a pulse voltage between the positive electrode 11 and the honeycomb filter 21 as plasma generating electrodes to generate plasma.

Abstract: In a plasma generating electrode 1, at least one of opposing unit electrodes 2 includes a sheet-shaped ceramic dielectric 3 and a conductive film 4 disposed in the ceramic dielectric 3 and partially extending on the surface of the ceramic dielectric 3 opposite to the other unit electrode 2 on the end of the ceramic dielectric 3, and a conductive terminal 5 is electrically connected with the conductive film 4 extending on the surface of the ceramic dielectric 3 opposite to the other unit electrode 2 on the end of the ceramic dielectric 3. Therefore, simple and reliable electrical connection can be achieved.