Claims
- 1. A spark gap assembly comprising:
- an enclosure which contains a gas medium;
- a first and a second rail electrode which extend into said enclosure and which are physically separated from each other by said gas medium;
- a means for ionizing said gas medium, said ionizing means being mixed in said enclosure and ionizing said gas medium so that it conducts electricity between said first and second rail electrodes along a series of arc channels in said gas medium; and
- a means for generating a standing acoustic wave in said enclosure and said gas medium, said generating means being fixed within said enclosure and distributing said series of arc channels in said gas medium at location of standing wave nodes of said standing acoustic wave, said generating means thereby evenly distributing said arc channels along said first and second rail electrodes, since said arc channels will form at the location of the standing wave nodes where the gas medium's molecular number density is a minimum.
- 2. A spark gap assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said generating means comprises:
- an acoustic driver which is fixed at a first end of said enclosure and which generates said standing acoustic wave at a particular frequency such that an integral number of half wavelengths of said standing acoustic wave exactly fits within said enclosure; and
- a reflecting wall which is fixed at a second end of said enclosure so that it faces said acoustic driver and reflects said standing acoustic wave back into said enclosure to establish said standing wave and enhance its effect upon said gas medium.
- 3. A spark gap assembly comprising:
- an enclosure which contains a gas medium;
- a first and second rail electrode which extend into said enclosure and which are physically separated from each other by said gas medium;
- a means for ionizing said gas medium, said ionizing means being fixed in said enclosure and ionizing said gas medium so that it conducts electricity between said first and second rail electrodes along a series of arc channels in said gas medium;
- a first acoustic driver which is fixed at a first end of said enclosure and which generates a standing acoustic wave at a particular frequency such that an integral number of half wavelengths of said standing acoustic wave exactly fit within said enclosure; and
- a second acoustic driver which is fixed at a second end of said enclosure so that it faces said first acoustic driver said second acoustic driver which is in synchronization with the standing acoustic wave's frequency and phase.
- 4. A process of improving performance in a spark gap assembly which uses an enclosure which contains a gas medium, a first and second rail electrode which extends into said enclosure and which are physically separated from each other by said gas medium, and a means for ionizing said gas medium so that it conducts electricity between said first and second rail electrodes along a series of arc channels in said gas medium, said process comprising a step of generating a standing acoustic wave in said gas medium in said enclosure such that an integral number of half wavelengths of said standing acoustic wave exactly fits with the enclosure's length and a pressure density profile develops in said gas medium such that said arc channels are evenly distributed along locations of standing wave nodes for an even distribution of arc channels along said first and second rail electrodes.
- 5. A process, as defined in claim 4 wherein said generating step includes a continuous modulation of phase in said standing acoustic wave to continuously reposition said standing wave nodes over the first and second rail electrode's entire length, said generating step thereby repositioning said arc channels over the entire length of the first and second rail electrodes since said arc channels will form at locations of the standing wave nodes where the gas medium's molecular number density is a minimum, said generating step thereby distributing electrical erosion of the first and second rail electrodes over their entire length to prolong thereby the spark gap assembly's lifetime.
- 6. A spark gap assembly comprising:
- an enclosure which contains a gas medium
- a first and a second rail electrode which extend into said enclosure and which are physically separated from each other by said gas medium;
- a means for ionizing said gas medium, said ionizing means being fixed in said enclosure and ionizing said gas medium so that it conducts electricity between said first and second rail electrodes along a series of arc channels in said gas medium;
- a first acoustic driver which is fixed at a first end of said enclosure and which generates standing acoustic wave at a particular frequency such that said arc channels are located at nodes in said standing acoustic wave where the gas medium's molecular number density is a minimum; and
- a second acoustic driver which is fixed at a second end of said enclosure so that it faces said first acoustic driver, said second acoustic driver being initially in synchronization with the standing acoustic wave's frequency and phase, said second acoustic driver sequentially modulating its phase to adjust the standing acoustic wave's nodes so that the arc channels are repositioned along the first and second said electrode's entire lengths.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purpose without the payment of any royalty thereon.
US Referenced Citations (7)