SET UP A SPECIAL VALVE FOR PLASMA AND JEWELLERY super-fast sealing of cracks in housings of synchrotron
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy#39;s Brookhaven National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory have received a U.S. patent (| 6,528,948) for a device that prevents the flow of air into the vacuum of about one million times faster than doing it the mechanical valves currently in use.
A new device called a plasma valve has been designed according to a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
In a synchrotron accelerates electrons orbit of constant radius, increasing the magnetic field at the time of determining this radius, and a constant frequency of the accelerating electric field. In this vacuum can circulate in the synchrotron ring for hours on a very high energy flows.
But when the vacuum stability in the rings is broken, the air flows with great force fly into the flow of electrons, and quenched his energy. Therefore, the faster the loss of vacuum is eliminated, the less damage will be done to the walls of the Rings, streams of electrons and their own experiments to accelerate.
The need for such a rapid valve that eliminates such violations has led engineers to study the potential of plasma arcs, as previously modified electric welding equipment. A team of researchers at Argonne National Laboratory in cooperation with a group of scientists from Brookhaven National Laboratory brought to mind the use of plasma technology valve.
Unlike conventional valves, plasma valve has no moving parts and components and does not require much maintenance, and establishes a vacuum / air overlay much faster. He is also completely non-destructive. On the contrary, the existing ultra-mechanical valves can bring damage to the machinery when used.
When the valve is activated by the plasma, the ionized gas or gas of charged particles, limited electric and magnetic fields, fills tight cracks in the wall of the synchrotron. As the plasma reaches a certain temperature and density parameters, it separates from the vacuum pressure to be deprived of pressure.
When the vacuum is broken, the plasma arc is ignited in less than one nanosecond in the plasma valve. The external structure of the valve consists of a hollow, water-cooled copper cylinder disposed between the three cathodes and a hollow ring at the opposite end of the anode cylinder.
Plasma valve is heated to 15 000 | C, which makes the ionized atoms and molecules face around the crack penetrated the air so quickly that the ions block any air molecules which might pass through the plasma valve.
Researchers from around the world are now studying different fields of application of the knowledge gained on the basis of these research scientists.
For example, attempts are being made: To study fine structure of computer chips, which in turn will create a more efficient computers; develop techniques for more rapid decrypted virus genome to create on the basis of more effective drugs, to investigate the properties of magnetic materials in order to make more better recording devices, explore the nature of corrosion to develop new methods to prevent it.
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