Method and apparatus for initiating, directing and constricting electrical discharge arcs
AssigneeThe Ohio State University
InventorsCharles E. Albright, Joseph W. Rich, Richard B. Miles, Walter R. Lempert, Sergy O. Macheret
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Abstract
A method and associated apparatus for initiating and guiding an electrical discharge arc. This method preferably comprises the steps of: providing a laser beam through a predetermined gas comprising molecules amenable to vibrational excitation by a laser beam so as to cause vibrational excitation of the molecules and to define a beam path in a direction of desired electrical discharge; and propagating an electrical discharge arc so as to intersect the beam path, whereby the electrical discharge arc is directed along the beam path.
Claims44
A method of directing an electrical discharge arc, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a laser beam through a predetermined gas comprising molecules amenable to vibrational excitation by a laser beam so as to cause vibrational excitation of said molecules and to define a beam path in a direction of desired electrical discharge, wherein said laser beam is emitted from a carbon monoxide laser;
- and
- (b) propagating an electrical discharge arc so as to intersect said beam path, whereby said electrical discharge arc is directed along said beam path.
A method of directing an electrical discharge arc, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a laser beam through a predetermined gas comprising molecules amenable to vibrational excitation by a laser beam so as to cause vibrational excitation of said molecules without substantially heating said gas and to define a beam path in a direction of desired electrical discharge;
- and
- (b) propogating an electrical discharge arc so as to intersect said beam path, whereby said electrical discharge arc is directed along said beam path.
An apparatus for directing an electrical discharge, comprising:
- (a) a source of a predetermined gas having molecules amendable to vibrational excitation;
- (b) a laser adapted to provide a laser beam through said gas so as to define a beam path comprising molecules vibrationally excited by said laser beam, wherein said laser beam vibrationally excites said molecules without ionizing said gas;
- and
- (c) a source of an electrical discharge arc adapted to provide an electrical discharge along said laser beam path and said vibrationally excited molecules.
A method of directing an electrical discharge arc, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a laser beam through a predetermined gas comprising molecules amenable to vibrational excitation by a laser beam so as to cause vibrational excitation of said molecules and to define a beam path in a direction of desired electrical discharge, wherein said predetermined gas is carbon monoxide;
- and
- (b) propagating an electrical discharge arc so as to intersect said beam path, whereby said electrical discharge arc is directed along said beam path.
A method of directing an electrical discharge arc, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a laser beam through a predetermined gas comprising molecules amenable to vibrational excitation by a laser beam so as to cause vibrational excitation of said molecules and to define a beam path in a direction of desired electrical discharge, wherein said molecules are excited without substantially heating said predetermined gas;
- and
- (b) propagating an electrical discharge arc so as to intersect said beam path, whereby said electrical discharge arc is directed along said beam path.
A method of directing an electrical discharge arc, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a laser beam through a predetermined gas comprising molecules amenable to vibrational excitation by a laser beam so as to cause vibrational excitation of said molecules and to define a beam path in a direction of desired electrical discharge, wherein said laser beam vibrationally excites said molecules without ionizing said gas;
- and
- (b) propagating an electrical discharge arc so as to intersect said beam path, whereby said electrical discharge arc is directed along said beam path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.