Ion production means
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsRobert H. Bullis, Walter J. Wiegand, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for providing ions having a specific electric charge to a stream of working fluid are disclosed. The ions are produced by a variety of techniques in a volume of the working fluid which is maintained in a protected region within the stream. An electric field draws ions away from the production region and makes them available to the stream of fluid. In many applications an independent electric field is applied to the flowing fluid to move the ions within the working fluid.
Claims12
Apparatus for providing ions having a specific electrical polarity to a fluid flowing in a conduit along a flow axis wherein the ions migrate across the fluid in a direction essentially perpendicular to the flow axis and the apparatus comprises:
- a main assembly having an outer surface extending along the axis and including,
- an upstream section,
- a downstream section, and
- a center region which separates the upstream and downstream sections;
- means for producing ions in the center region;
- an ion permeable grid which extends in the axial direction across the center region between the upstream and downstream sections, the grid and the ion producing means defining therebetween an ion acceleration region which is bounded axially at the upstream end by the upstream section and at the downstream end by the downstream section;
- and
- means for applying a first electric field across the ion acceleration region between the ion production means and the ion permeable grid.
Apparatus for providing ions having a specific electrical polarity to a fluid flowing in a conduit along a flow axis wherein the ions migrate across the fluid in a direction essentially perpendicular to the flow axis and the apparatus comprises:
- a main assembly having an outer surface extending along the axis and including,
- an upstream section,
- a downstream section, and
- a center region which separates the upstream and downstream sections;
- means for producing ions in the center region comprising,
- an anode,
- a cathode, and
- means for applying an ion production electric field between the anode and cathode;
- an ion permeable grid which extends in the axial direction across the center regions between the upstream and downstream sections, the grid and the ion producing means defining therebetween an ion acceleration region which is bounded axially at the upstream end by the upstream section and at the downstream end by the downstream section;
- and
- means for applying an ion accelerating electric field across the ion acceleration region between the ion production means and the ion permeable grid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.