# US 8,786,263 B2 · Reducing stored electrical energy in a lead inductance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,786,263 B2 - Document ID: US8786263B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/617,181 - Filed: 2009-11-12 - Published: 2010-08-26 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2007-05-12 - Assignees: Trumpf Huettinger Sp. Z O. O. - Applicants: Pawel Ozimek; Rafal Bugyi; Robert Dziuba; Andrzej Klimczak; Marcin Zelechowski - Inventors: Pawel Ozimek; Rafal Bugyi; Robert Dziuba; Andrzej Klimczak; Marcin Zelechowski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786263B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/32064: {Circuits specially adapted for controlling the arc discharge (for plasma torches H01H1/36)} - H01J 37/32091: {the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 37/32174: {Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge} - H01M 10/42: Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells (H01M10/60 takes precedence) - H01M 10/425: {Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00)} - H01M 10/4264: {with capacitors} - H01M 10/44: Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) - H05H 1/36: Circuit arrangements (H05H1/38, H05H1/40 take precedence) - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract According to a first aspect of the present invention, reducing electrical energy stored in a load or in one or more leads for connecting a power supply with the load is achieved by plasma process power circuitry including a switch in operative connection with at least one of the leads for enabling/interrupting power to the load; a first electrical nonlinear device; an energy storing device arranged in series with the first electrical nonlinear device; and a pre-charging circuit in operative connection with the energy storing device, the pre-charging circuit configured to charge the energy storing device to a pre-determined energy level while power to the load is enabled. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Plasma process power circuitry configured to transfer electrical energy stored in a load or in one or more leads for connecting a power supply unit with the load, the circuitry comprising: a first electrical nonlinear device connected in series with an energy storing device, wherein the first electrical nonlinear device and the energy storing device are configured to transfer energy from the leads or the load into the energy storing device and to prevent an energy transfer from the energy storing device into the leads or the load; a switch in operative connection with at least one of the leads for enabling/interrupting power from the power supply unit to the load, the switch being connected in parallel with the series connection of the first electrical nonlinear device and the energy storing device; a pre-charging circuit in operative connection with the energy storing device, the pre-charging circuit configured to charge the energy storing device to a pre-determined energy level while power to the load from the power supply unit is enabled and to maintain the pre-determined energy level on the energy storing device while the plasma process power circuitry is not detecting a plasma arc; and a control unit coupled to the switch and configured to detect a plasma arc and toggle the switch connected in parallel with the series connection of the first electrical nonlinear device and the energy storing device to interrupt power from the power supply unit to the load in response to detecting the arc, thereby transferring residual energy from the load or the leads into the energy storing device against the pre-determined energy level of the energy storing device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The circuitry of claim 1, further comprising a control/monitoring unit configured to interrupt power being supplied thru the leads prior to the energy transfer from the leads or the load into the energy storing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first electrical nonlinear device is an electrical valve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the energy storing device is a capacitance and/or an inductance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first electrical non-linear device is configured to prevent a current originating from the pre-charging circuit and/or the energy storing device from being delivered into the leads. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first electrical nonlinear device and the energy storing device are arranged in a current path between two leads while power to the load is interrupted. ### Claim 7 A method of reducing electrical energy stored in a load or in one or more leads for connecting a plasma process power supply with the load, the method comprising: pre-charging an energy storage device connected in series with a first electrical nonlinear device to a pre-determined energy level, wherein the first electrical nonlinear device and the energy storing device are configured to transfer energy from the leads or the load into the energy storing device and to prevent an energy transfer from the energy storing device into the leads or the load; maintaining the predetermined energy level on the energy storage device while power to the load from a power supply unit is enabled and while the plasma process power circuitry is not detecting a plasma arc; and detecting a plasma arc and, in response, disconnecting at least one of the leads from the power supply by opening a switch connected in parallel with the series connection of the first electrical nonlinear device and the energy storing device, thereby transferring residual energy from the load or the leads into the energy storing device against the pre-determined energy level of the energy storing device.