Method and arrangement for generating a jet of fluid, method and system for transforming the jet into a plasma, and uses of said system

An apparatus for generating a pulsed jet of fluid comprising:

• a source of pressurized fluid,
• a solenoid valve, under a pressure of at least 400 bars, opening and closing a channel for passage of the fluid through the solenoid valve to generate the pulsed jet of the fluid, and
• a nozzle pipe accelerating and shaping the pulsed jet of the fluid that is produced by the solenoid valve to have submillimetric dimensions, wherein the solenoid valve includes
• a solenoid,
• a mobile element for opening and closing the channel for the passage of the fluid through the solenoid valve, wherein the mobile element
• is displaceable perpendicularly to the channel, in opening the channel, in response a magnetic field produced by the solenoid, and
• closes the channel in response to pressure from the fluid, and
• a wall of a magnetizable material around the channel and having an asymmetry at the mobile element so that, when the solenoid is energized, an asymmetrical magnetic field having a component oriented perpendicular to the channel displaces the mobile element and opens the channel.

A method for generating a plasma comprising:

• generating, with a solenoid valve under a pressure of at least 400 bars and a nozzle pipe mounted on an outlet aperture of the solenoid valve, a pulsed jet of a fluid;
• and
• applying a laser beam perpendicular to the pulsed jet of the fluid leaving the nozzle pipe, in a vacuum chamber, wherein the solenoid valve includes
• a solenoid,
• a mobile element for opening and closing a channel for the passage of the fluid through the solenoid valve, wherein the mobile element
• is displaceable perpendicularly to the channel, in opening the channel, in response a magnetic field produced by the solenoid, and
• closes the channel in response to pressure from the fluid, and
• a wall of a magnetizable material around the channel and having an asymmetry at the mobile element, and the method further includes energizing the solenoid, thereby producing an asymmetrical magnetic field having a component oriented perpendicular to the channel, displacing the mobile element, and opening the channel.

A system for generating a plasma comprising:

• a source of pressurized fluid,
• a solenoid valve, under a pressure of at least 400 bars, opening and closing a channel for passage of the fluid through the solenoid valve to produce a pulsed jet of the fluid,
• a nozzle pipe accelerating and shaping the pulsed jet of the fluid to have submillimetric dimensions,
• a laser producing a laser beam which acts on the pulsed jet of fluid at an outlet of the nozzle pipe,
• a vacuum chamber containing the solenoid valve, the nozzle, and the laser and in which the laser beam acts on the pulsed jet of fluid, and
• a pump for generating a vacuum inside the vacuum chamber, wherein the solenoid valve includes
• a solenoid,
• a mobile element for opening and closing the channel for the passage of the fluid through the solenoid valve, wherein the mobile element
• is displaceable perpendicularly to the channel, in opening the channel, in response a magnetic field produced by the solenoid, and
• closes the channel in response to pressure from the fluid, and
• a wall of a magnetizable material around the channel and having an asymmetry at the mobile element so that, when the solenoid is energized, an asymmetrical magnetic field having a component oriented perpendicular to the channel displaces the mobile element and opens the channel.