Back to results
US 11,903,321 B2Granted
Device for producing a non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma and method for operating a piezoelectric transformer
AssigneeTDK Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorGoran Miskovic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for producing a non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma and a method for operating a piezoelectric transformer are disclosed. In an embodiment a device includes a piezoelectric transformer, a driver circuit configured to apply an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer and a field probe configured to measure a field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer at a measurement point, wherein the driver circuit is configured to adapt the input signal while taking into account measurement results of the field probe, and wherein the device is configured to produce a non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma.
Claims44
A device comprising:
- a piezoelectric transformer;
- a driver circuit configured to apply an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- evaluation electronics connected to the driver circuit;
- and
- a field probe comprising a metallization forming a measurement point, at which the field probe is configured to determine a local field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer,
- wherein the field probe is configured to measure the field strength of the electric field at the measurement point,
- wherein the driver circuit is configured to:
- adapt the input signal while taking into account measurement results of the field probe, and
- transmit the input signal applied to the piezoelectric transformer to the evaluation electronics,
- wherein the evaluation electronics are configured to:
- further process measurement values recorded by the field probe,
- determine an output signal determined by the piezoelectric transformer from the measurement values recorded by the field probe, and
- compare the input signal with the output signal, and
- wherein the device is configured to produce a non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma.
11 more elements
A method for operating a piezoelectric transformer, the method comprising:
- applying, by a driver circuit, an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- measuring a field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer by a field probe at a measurement point;
- adopting the input signal applied to the piezoelectric transformer while taking into account measurement values;
- transmitting the input signal to evaluation electronics;
- determining, by the evaluation electronics, an output signal of the piezoelectric transformer from measurement values recorded by the field probe;
- and
- comparing, by the evaluation electronics, the input signal with the output signal.
4 more elements
A device comprising:
- a piezoelectric transformer;
- a driver circuit configured to apply an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- evaluation electronics connected to the driver circuit;
- and
- a field probe comprising a metallization forming a measurement point, at which the field probe is configured to determine a local field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer,
- wherein the field probe is configured to measure the field strength of the electric field at the measurement point,
- wherein the driver circuit is configured to adapt the input signal while taking into account measurement results of the field probe,
- wherein the driver circuit is configured so that a power sufficient for an ignition of a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma is applied to an input region of the piezoelectric transformer only when a load is detected in front of a output end side,
- wherein the evaluation electronics are configured to:
- further process measurement values recorded by the field probe, and
- detect the load arranged in front of the output end side of the piezoelectric transformer with aid of a change in the field strength, and
- wherein the device is configured to produce the nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma.
9 more elements
A method for operating a piezoelectric transformer, the method comprising:
- applying, by a driver circuit, an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- measuring a field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer by a field probe at a measurement point;
- adopting the input signal applied to the piezoelectric transformer while taking into account measurement values;
- and
- transmitting the input signal to evaluation electronics,
- wherein the evaluation electronics detects a load arranged in front of an output end side of the piezoelectric transformer with aid of a change in the field strength, and
- wherein the driver circuit is configured so that a power sufficient for an ignition of a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma is applied to an input region of the piezoelectric transformer only when the load is detected in front of the output end side.
4 more elements
A device comprising:
- a piezoelectric transformer;
- a driver circuit configured to apply an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- and
- a field probe comprising a metallization forming a measurement point, at which the field probe is configured to determine a local field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer,
- wherein the field probe is configured to measure the field strength of the electric field at the measurement point,
- wherein the driver circuit is configured to adapt the input signal while taking into account measurement results of the field probe, and
- wherein the device is configured to:
- produce a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma, and
- perform a calibration of the piezoelectric transformer by comparing the measurement values determined by the field probe with a reference signal.
6 more elements
A method for operating a piezoelectric transformer, the method comprising:
- applying, by a driver circuit, an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- measuring a field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer by a field probe at a measurement point;
- adopting the input signal applied to the piezoelectric transformer while taking into account measurement values;
- and
- performing a calibration of the piezoelectric transformer by comparing the measurement values determined by the field probe with a reference signal.
2 more elements
A device comprising:
- a piezoelectric transformer;
- a driver circuit configured to apply an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- and
- a field probe comprising a metallization forming a measurement point, at which the field probe is configured to determine a local field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer,
- wherein the field probe is configured to measure the field strength of the electric field at the measurement point,
- wherein the driver circuit is configured to adapt the input signal while taking into account measurement results of the field probe, and
- wherein the device is configured to:
- produce a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma, and
- determine at least one of ageing and a lifetime of the piezoelectric transformer by comparing the measurement values determined by the field probe with a reference signal.
6 more elements
A method for operating a piezoelectric transformer, the method comprising:
- applying, by a driver circuit, an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- measuring a field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer by a field probe at a measurement point;
- adopting the input signal applied to the piezoelectric transformer while taking into account measurement values;
- and
- determining at least one of ageing or a lifetime of the piezoelectric transformer by comparing the measurement values determined by the field probe with a reference signal.
2 more elements
A device comprising:
- a piezoelectric transformer;
- a driver circuit configured to apply an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- and
- a field probe comprising a metallization forming a measurement point, at which the field probe is configured to determine a local field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer,
- wherein the field probe is configured to measure the field strength of the electric field at the measurement point,
- wherein the driver circuit is configured to adapt the input signal while taking into account the measurement results of the field probe in such a way that a frequency of the input signal corresponds to that of a parallel resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transformer, and
- wherein the device is configured to produce a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma.
4 more elements
A method for operating a piezoelectric transformer, the method comprising:
- applying, by a driver circuit, an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- measuring a field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer by a field probe at a measurement point;
- adopting the input signal applied to the piezoelectric transformer while taking into account measurement values;
- and
- determining a parallel resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transformer and adjusting the frequency of the input signal to the parallel resonant frequency.
2 more elements
A device comprising:
- a piezoelectric transformer;
- a driver circuit configured to apply an input signal to the piezoelectric transformer;
- and
- a field probe comprising a metallization forming a measurement point, at which the field probe is configured to determine a local field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer,
- wherein the field probe is configured to:
- measure the field strength of the electric field produced at the measurement point, and
- measure at least one of the following:
- a pressure, a temperature, a humidity, a conductivity, an ozone concentration, a gas composition, an ion concentration or a particle concentration,
- wherein the driver circuit is configured to:
- adapt the input signal while taking into account measurement results of the field probe, and
- take into account at least one of the following during adaptation of the input signal:
- the pressure, the temperature, the humidity, the conductivity, the ozone concentration, the gas composition, the ion concentration or the particle concentration, and
- wherein the device is configured to produce a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma.
10 more elements
A method for operating a piezoelectric transformer, the method comprising:
- applying an input signal by a driver circuit to the piezoelectric transformer;
- measuring a field strength of an electric field produced by the piezoelectric transformer by a field probe at a measurement point;
- adopting the input signal applied to the piezoelectric transformer while taking into account measurement values;
- and
- measuring, by the field probe, at least one of the following:
- a pressure, a temperature, a humidity, a conductivity, an ozone concentration, a gas composition, an ion concentration or a particle concentration;
- and
- taking into account, by the drive circuit, at least one of the following during adaptation of the input signal:
- the pressure, the temperature, the humidity, the conductivity, the ozone concentration, the gas composition, the ion concentration or the particle concentration.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.