Gas mixtures for spark gap closing switches
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsLoucas G. Christophorou, Dennis L. McCorkle, Scott R. Hunter
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Abstract
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.
Claims6
A spark gap closing switch having two electrodes and disposed between said electrodes of said switch a gas mixture comprising a first gas component that attaches strongly to electrons at low energies, said attachment being exclusively nondissociative and decreasing with increasing gas temperature, and a second gas component that has low molecular weight, is nonreacting and increases the electron drift velocity within said switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.