Abstract: The invention relates to an induction switch comprising a discharge container filled with gas and a coaxially interleaved electrode device, and to a corresponding method for commutating high voltages. The inductive production of a dense plasma and the subsequent flooding of an electrode gap with the plasma ions produced enables the commutation of high currents in the kiloamp range when there are blocking voltages of over 500 kV. Such an induction switch only requires a single discharge gap, can be used over a very wide voltage range, and avoids the problem of electrode erosion as a result of the electrode-free energy coupling.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine 100 includes a cylinder 102 that defines a combustion chamber 196 causing a premixed gas to be combusted, a piston 120 that defines the combustion chamber 196 together with the cylinder 102, and reciprocates in the cylinder 102, and an active species generator 150 that generates active species. The internal combustion engine 100 promotes combustion of the mixed gas by the active species generated by the active species generator 150. The piston 120 includes an active species generation chamber 194 that is formed therein and open to a top surface of the piston 120, and in which the active species generator 150 generates the active species.

Abstract: A lighting tube provides a path from the anode to the cathode in which the kinetic energy of the electrons is maintained substantially within the range of the excitation energies of visible photons, and in particular the excitation energies of yellow light. Magnets are arranged to provide a magnetic field that is substantially perpendicular to the electric field between anode and cathode. The orthogonal electrical and magnetic fields along the path are provided with values that accelerate the electrons but limit the maximum kinetic energy. Low pressure gas may be provided in the tube.

Abstract: A multi-mode electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprising at least one source of electromagnetic radiation which emits radiation according to predefined or programmable user selectable instruction sets is disclosed. Reversal of the polarity of the device's power supply allows for enhanced features to be accessed including multiple instruction sets per switch setting, reprogramming mode, infra-red (covert) mode, night mode and water activation mode. A switch mechanism for providing selectable switched circuit connections is also disclosed as well as a power supply for supplying DC power to an electronic circuit comprising at least one microcontroller or microprocessor.

Abstract: For a low-pressure gas discharge switch, at least two main electrodes are arranged at least a distance d from each other, the electrodes in an arcing chamber forming a cathode and an anode of a discharge path for the low-pressure gas discharge. The gas discharge is triggered by increasing the electron density in a cathode cavity, at least the cathode in its disk-shaped area having at least one aperture, the cathode and anode apertures preferably being opposite and aligned with each other, for triggering the discharge. An arrangement generating a magnetic field superimposed on the discharge between the main electrodes (1, 1a, 2, 2a) are assigned to the main electrodes (1, 1a, 2, 2a), with which either a predominantly parallel magnetic field is generated or a predominantly perpendicular one, with regard to the direction of current in the discharge.

Abstract: A getter wire formed in a closed configuration in a vacuum sealed package is inductively heated until it evaporates, thereby forming a thin film on the inner walls of the package to getter gas molecules within the sealed package.

Abstract: A starting system for an electrodeless metal halide discharge lamp includes a parallel tuned LC network including a fixed capacitor and a starting inductor, and also including a conductive plate for application to the starting inductor for detuning the network once the lamp has started. The detuned starting network produces insufficient voltage to maintain the starting plasma while the lamp is running. The conductive plate is removed from the starting inductor by a solenoid or other mechanical actuator during lamp starting.

Abstract: A plasma switch is provided which can limit fault currents to a range that is elecrostatically interruptible by a control grid. The switch includes magnets that generate a first magnetic vector which cooperates with an electric field to generate a plasma, the density of which is a function of the magnitude of the first magnetic vector. A stalling coil is arranged to generate a second magnetic vector that opposes and cancels a portion of the first magnetic vector in response to a fault current through the switch. This establishes a stalling condition in which the plasma density falls and a plasma potential gradient is set up in the switch. In this unstable condition, the plasma current is interruptible by the control grid.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a high current density glow discharge switch which is capable of preventing confinement of an electron current to the vicinity of the center of a flat electrode during the operation of the switch to prevent an increase in the temperature of the flat electrode and thereby provide a highly reliable and stable switch having a long lifetime. A cathode and an anode each include a flat electrode having a central hole and a cup-shaped electrode electrically connected to the flat electrode. The cathode and the anode are disposed such that the flat electrodes face each other. A cylindrical insulator is disposed on the outside of the cathode and the anode. A coil for generating a magnetic field is disposed on the outside of the cylindrical insulator. Hydrogen gas is sealed in a sealed space defined by the cylindrical insulator, the cathode and the anode.

Abstract: A high intensity discharge light source that uses a pseudo-random sequence generator to modulate an RF drive signal, and reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) produced by the light source. The light source includes a high intensity RF discharge lamp, control and RF drive electronics that are coupled between a power source and the lamp. The control and drive electronics include an electromagnetic interference filter, and a regulator that outputs a bias voltage. The drive electronics provide RF power to the lamp, and includes an oscillator, a mixer/modulator, an amplifier, and an impedance matching network. The control circuit includes a pseudo-random sequence generator that generates a pseudo-random sequence of pulses to modulate the mixer/modulator and thus the output of the oscillator to thereby reduce the EMI spectral density generated in driving the RF discharge lamp.

Abstract: A high impedance plasma opening switch having an anode and a cathode and at least one additional electrode placed between the anode and cathode. The presence of the additional electrodes leads to the creation of additional plasma gaps which are in series, increasing the net impedance of the switch. An equivalent effect can be obtained by using two or more conventional plasma switches with their plasma gaps wired in series. Higher impedance switches can provide high current and voltage to higher impedance loads such as plasma radiation sources.

Abstract: A diverging magnetic field is established between the cathode and control electrode of a hollow cathode plasma switch to expand the plasma at a passageway through the control electrode, thus significantly increasing the switch's current handling capability. Preferred ranges of magnetic field strength, gas pressure, spacing between the hollow cathode and control electrode, and the mesh aperture size for the control grid are described.

Abstract: Arc lamp output stability is improved by use of negative feedback which stabilizes arc position and intensity. Position and intensity of an image of the arc are sensed by optical sensors to control electromagnets which shift arc position so as to decrease wander and to control lamp current to decrease arc intensity variation.

Abstract: A portable radiographic generator is provided with an explosive magnetic flux compression generator producing the high voltage necessary to generate a relativistic electron beam. The relativistic electron beam is provided with target materials which generates the desired radiographic pulse. The magnetic flux compression generator may require at least two conventional explosively driven generators in series to obtain a desired output voltage of at least 1 MV. The cathode and anode configuration of the diode are selected to provide a switching action wherein a high impedance load is presented to the magnetic flux compression generator when the high voltage is being generated, and thereafter switching to a low impedance load to generate the relativistic electron beam. Magnetic flux compression generators can be explosively driven and provided in a relatively compact, portable form for use with the relativistic x-ray equipment.

Abstract: A cold-cathode, plasma discharge modulator switch is disclosed. A crossed-field discharge plasma supplied charge carriers for the switch. A dc magnetic field is employed to provide a highly localized cusp magnetic field near the cathode, so that gas ionization occurs primarily in the cathode-source grid gap. The region between the cathode and anode is filled with a relatively low pressure gas. A highly transparent control grid with small apertures is closely spaced from the anode. The switch is closed through application of positive potential (relative to the plasma) to the control grid, and opened through application of negative potential relative to the plasma to the control grid. The application of negative potential to the control grid creates an ion sheath around the control grid which permits plasma cut-off to the anode region provided the sheath size is larger than the control grid aperture radius.

Abstract: Vapor deposition coating can be performed in apparatus in which a plasma of the coating material is generated from the surface of an electrode. The surface area of the electrode from which the plasma is generated can be selectively adjusted by exposing the plasma generating surface of the electrode to the influence of a magnetic field and adjusting the strength of the magnetic field to spread plasma over the evaporative surface of the electrode to permit more efficient utilization of the electrode. Preferably, the electrode is in the form of a flat metal disc (e.g. titanium) and the magnetic field is generated by a wire coil that substantially encircles or is coaxial to the electrode, with the electrode or an associated element functioning as a core for the coil.

Abstract: It is desirable not only to switch between circuits or circuit elements carrying relatively large currents but also to effect the switch-over operation extremely rapidly. Conventional thyratrons can be used to switch on the current, but they cannot easily be switched off so quickly.The invention seeks to solve this "switch-off" difficulty by using the principle of plasma particle diversion together with a new thyratron design which can be used as a "switch-over" device. As can be seen from FIG.

Abstract: A cross-field discharge plasma is used to supply charge carriers for a grid controlled cold cathode discharge device. A dc magnetic field is employed to sustain the crossed-field discharge when the source grid is active. The device comprises an anode, a cathode, a source grid, and in alternate embodiments, additional control grids. Preferably the magnetic field exists only in the source grid-cathode space and penetrates only weakly, or not at all, into other electrode gaps or spaces. The source grid-cathode plasma is effectively a source of charge carriers, electrons or ions, controlled by the source grid current, the anode current being an approximate linear function of source grid current within limits, and/or controllable by adjustment of control grid potentials.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for reducing the rate of erosion of electrodes between which an arc is sustained by the provision of a field coil around the electrode which is supplied with direct current and the oscillation of that direct current supply at a frequency in the range 5.times.10.sup.-1 to 1.times.10.sup.-4 Hz.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter which can be used as a high voltage d-c breaker or fault current limiter transfer switch or the like contains a pair of cooperable contacts disposed in an evacuated container. One of the contacts also serves as the cathode of a magnetically modulated vacuum arc discharge device. This cathode is spaced from an anode disposed in the wall of the evacuated housing. The anode is surrounded by a winding which is capable of producing a magnetic field which can increase the impedance of the arc plasma between the cathode and anode in order to decrease the arc current and extinguish the arc. The cooperable contacts within the interrupter serve to carry load current and also serve to create the inital arc which is transferred between the anode and cathode structures.

Abstract: A high voltage interrupter consists of a cathode disposed centrally along the axis of an annular anode ring. The anode ring is a part of the wall of an evacuated container and is enclosed by a magnetic coil. Current flows through an arc plasma struck between the cathode and anode and this arc current is controlled by a magnetic field produced by the external coil which varies the impedance of the arc and causes the arc to extinguish. The anode contains a plurality of parallel metal vanes which extend into the interior of the evacuated housing to increase the current capability of the device and to control the rate of change of the current during switching operation.

Abstract: A device for electrical deceleration of a flow of accelerated charged particles, includes three electrodes positioned downstream of the flow of charged particles, the first electrode having a potential equal to the energy of the electron flow, the second electrode having a potential approximately equal to zero and the third electrode, which is intended for the reception of particles, having a small potential of the same sign as that of the first electrode. The second electrode is made as a set of sharp members, their edges being directed toward the incoming flow of charged particles. The device can be provided with a fourth electrode positioned after the third electrode, the potential of the fourth electrode being of the same sign as that of the third electrode. In addition, the device can be provided with a fifth electrode positioned between the third and the fourth electrodes and having a potential of the same sign as that of said electrodes but smaller in absolute value.

Abstract: In an electronic device such as a fluorescent display tube which comprises an evacuated envelope, a plurality of cathode electrodes and an anode electrode, auxiliary electrodes are arranged between the cathode electrodes and the anode electrode. Each auxiliary electrode is impressed with AC potential superposed on DC potential and acts to disperse the electron flux emitted by the cathode electrodes in the lateral direction thus uniformly distributing the electron flux on the anode electrode.

Abstract: A discharge lamp with minimized upward bowing of the arc in which conductors carrying full arc current are placed in close proximity above and below the arc tube. The conductors run parallel with the longitudinal axis of the arc tube and the conductors above the arc are electrically connected in such a manner as to carry full lamp current in the opposite direction of the arc, thus repelling the arc in a downward direction, and the conductor or conductors below the arc tube are electrically connected so as to carry full lamp current in the same direction of the arc, thus attracting the arc downward.