Electron beam system
AssigneeZapit Technology, Inc.
InventorsPeter R. Schonberg, Russell G. Schonberg, David R. Fadness
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electron beam source or generator is described for the treatment of toxic materials in a treatment system in which electron beams are reacted with a flowing influent in a reaction chamber. The system is modular allowing different configurations as demanded by the site and by the clean-up job. It is also portable in that it can be easily moved from place to place. If mounted on a movable base it can be taken from place to place for use.
Claims28
A portably sized processing unit of modular elements for an electron beam treatment system for organic compounds, said modular elements comprising:
- a.) a reaction chamber;
- and
- b.) a source for an electron, beam positionable to direct a beam of electrons through a window into said reaction chamber;
- said window having at least a corrosion resistant outer surface;
- coupling means associated with said reaction chamber for releasably coupling said source for said electron beam to said reaction chamber;
- means to apply an electron beam of sufficient power to treat an influent flow of organic compounds flowing through said reaction chamber to cause chemical transformations of said compounds in connection with industrial processes;
- first attachment means for releasably attaching said reaction chamber to, and detaching said reaction chamber from a source of an influent flow;
- second attachment means for releasably attaching said reaction chamber to, and detaching said reaction chamber from, output means for an effluent flow.
The processing unit of claim I wherein the reaction chamber comprises a cylinder having a material inlet at one end and a material outlet at the other end and wherein said processing unit is no larger than about ten feet in any single surface dimension.
A transportable electron beam modular system comprising:
- influent means for admitting an influent flow to the system;
- effluent means for removing an effluent flow from the system;
- conversion means comprising a plurality of processing units and means for selectively arranging the processing units serially or in parallel, each processing unit comprising a reaction chamber, means for admitting an electron beam into the reaction chamber and means for communicating the reaction chamber with the influent means and the effluent means;
- attachment means to enable arranging the components of the system in various possible configurations, and
- transport means for moving the influent means, the effluent means, and the conversion means from one site to another.
An electron beam source comprising a substantially cylindrical vacuum envelope, an accelerating electrode, an electron emitter, means to apply a negative electric potential to said emitter with respect to the accelerating electrode to accelerate electrons emitted from said emitter substantially along the axis of said vacuum envelope, a thin vacuum window with a corrosion resistant outer surface at the end of said cylindrical envelope to pass electrons through, said source being in the 50,000 to 500,000 electron volt beam energy range and means to connect said envelope with said window facing a reaction chamber to treat, with electron beams, a toxic influent passing therethrough.
An electron beam processing unit for a gaseous flow comprising modular elements in a treatment system, said modular elements comprising:
- a.) a reaction chamber;
- said reaction chamber having at least a corrosion resistant inner surface;
- and
- b.) a source for an electron beam positionable to direct a beam of electrons through a window into said reaction chamber;
- said window having at least a corrosion resistant outer surface;
- coupling means associated with said reaction chamber for releasably coupling said source for said electron beam to said reaction chamber;
- means to apply an electron beam of sufficient power to treat an influent gaseous flow of organic compounds flowing into and through said reaction chamber to cause chemical transformations of said compounds;
- first attachment means for releasably attaching said reaction chamber to, and detaching said reaction chamber from a source of an influent flow;
- second attachment means for releasably attaching said reaction chamber to, and detaching said reaction chamber from, output means for an effluent flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.