I'm not sure how 200 psi becomes 13.8 kbar in the indicated patent application from Montgomery Childs on the anode construction. I think one has to keep in mind that these applications may contain deliberately misleading information.
It might then help to focus on what is being actually claimed (i.e. what matters for the patent office). Arranging the claims in a hierarchical tree can assist understanding what the application is actually about.
US20190059149A1
- 1. An electrode apparatus for plasma generation comprising: a hollow electrode assembly connectable to a gas source, comprising, at least one conduit in the assembly for supplying gas under pressure to the inside of the assembly, a gas permeable membrane on the electrode for permitting gas from inside the assembly to effuse across the membrane for supply gas to a plasma discharge from the electrode.
- 2. The electrode apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrode further comprises a plasma discharge head from which the plasma is discharged from the electrode.
- 3. The electrode apparatus of claim 2, wherein the head is composed of a pure element or alloy selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, carbon, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, silicon, copper, palladium, platinum, lithium, aluminum, carbon and combinations thereof.
- 4. The electrode apparatus of claim 2, wherein the geometry of the head is selected from the group consisting of a bulb, sphere, polyhedral, tetrahedral, octahedral, and icosahedral.
- 5. The electrode apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas permeable membrane comprising a metal matrix for dissociating diatomic molecules whereby dissociated atomic species effuse through the metal matrix and recombine within the plasma corona above the surface of the metal electrode.
- 7. The electrode apparatus of claim 5, the hollow electrode further comprising a magnet therein for proving field lines to guide plasma formation, and wherein the metal matrix provides for gas effusion at a constant rate to the environment surrounding the hollow electrode at a lower pressure as compared to the pressure of the environment inside the hollow electrode.
- 8. The electrode apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnet of claim 6 being a rare-earth neodymium, samarium-cobalt, or pure ferromagnet, of compositions containing neodymium, iron, and/or boron, or samarium and cobalt.
- 9. The electrode apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnet is an electromagnet, the magnetic field of which can be controlled by an electrical current through a particular design of current-carrying wires or media.
- 10. The electrode apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnet has a remanence strength of at least 0.0 to 1.5 tesla.
- 7. The electrode apparatus of claim 5, the hollow electrode further comprising a magnet therein for proving field lines to guide plasma formation, and wherein the metal matrix provides for gas effusion at a constant rate to the environment surrounding the hollow electrode at a lower pressure as compared to the pressure of the environment inside the hollow electrode.
- 6. The electrode apparatus of claim 1, the hollow electrode assembly further comprising an electrical circuit in a tapered housing.
- 11. The electrode apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a coating on the anode for promoting a dielectric protective layer which can alter the appearance and characteristics of the plasma discharge.
- 12. The electrode apparatus of claim 11, wherein the coating is selected from the group consisting of lithium, potassium, sodium in the form of a refractory oxide mixture, decomposable carbonate, decomposable nitrate, a volatile material that would leave behind oxides, and reduced metals of lithium, potassium, or sodium.
- 13. The electrode apparatus of claim 12, wherein the refractory oxide comprises one or more transition elements of the periodic table.
- 14. The electrode apparatus of claim 12, wherein the refractory oxide coating comprises one or more lanthanide elements of the periodic table.
- 12. The electrode apparatus of claim 11, wherein the coating is selected from the group consisting of lithium, potassium, sodium in the form of a refractory oxide mixture, decomposable carbonate, decomposable nitrate, a volatile material that would leave behind oxides, and reduced metals of lithium, potassium, or sodium.
- 2. The electrode apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrode further comprises a plasma discharge head from which the plasma is discharged from the electrode.
- 15. A method for generating a plasma comprising: providing a hollow electrode assembly through which a gas from a gas supply can pass and be effused across the casing of the electrode for supplying a gas for a plasma discharge, introducing the gas under pressure into the electrode assembly such that the gas passes and is effused across the casing, and applying a current and a voltage to the electrode assembly for generating a plasma discharge.