US 6,855,906 B2Granted

Induction plasma reactor

OwnerAdam Alexander Brailoveinventor

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Abstract

The invention is a plasma-generating device useful in a wide variety of industrial processes. The plasma is formed in a chamber having a toroidal topology, and is heated inductively. As with all inductive plasmas, a primary coil carries an applied AC current, which, in turn, generates a corresponding applied AC magnetic flux inside the plasma. This flux induces current to flow through the plasma in closed paths that encircle the flux, thereby heating and maintaining the plasma. In this invention, the applied AC current flows through the primary coil around substantially the short poloidal direction on the torus. Accordingly, the applied magnetic flux is caused to circulate through the plasma along the larger toroidal direction. Finally, the current induced within the plasma will flow in the poloidal direction, anti-parallel to the applied primary current. The plasma chamber wall is preferably made of metal such as aluminum and includes one or more electrical breaks that extend fully around the chamber wall in the toroidal direction. This prevents poloidal currents from being induced in the chamber wall, ensuring effective power transfer to the plasma. Elastomeric seals made from electrically insulating material seal the breaks.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A plasma chemical reactor apparatus for inductively generating a plasma from process gasses comprising:

a. a chamber adapted for receiving said process gasses and for containing said plasma,
b. a chamber wall having an inner surface defining said chamber, the shape of said inner surface of said chamber wall having a generally toroidal topology, said toroidal topology defining a torus with a hole, a cyclic toroidal direction encircling said hole, and a cyclic poloidal direction generally orthogonal to said toroidal direction,
c. an applied AC electrical current flowing in a substantially poloidal direction around said plasma,
d. a plasma excitation means comprising an electrically conductive material carrying said applied AC electrical current,
e. an AC power source operatively coupled to said plasma excitation means,
whereby said AC power source urges said applied AC electrical current to flow through said plasma excitation means, said applied AC electrical current, flowing generally parallel to said poloidal direction, generates an AC magnetic flux directed generally parallel to said toroidal direction within said plasma, said AC magnetic flux further induces AC electrical current to flow through said plasma in a generally poloidal direction, thereby ionizing said process gasses and inductively heating and maintaining said plasma, without having any portion of said plasma surrounded by a magnetic core.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/269,778Filed 11 Oct 2002 · us provisional application
Priority: 16 Oct 2001
Published: US 2003/0071035 A117 Apr 2003
Granted: 15 Feb 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H05B 6/108
Using a susceptor: for heating a fluid
H05H 1/46
Generating plasma: using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy
H05H 1/4652
Radiofrequency discharges: using inductive coupling means, e.g. coils
H05B
Electric heating