Claims
- 1. An aerodynamic particle beam generator, comprising:a) a source of particles suspended in a transport gas; b) a first flow tube into which the suspension of particles in flowing gas is directed; c) an axial constrictor through which the gas flowing out of the first flow tube is directed; and, d) a second flow tube, downstream of the axial constrictor, and having a smaller internal cross-sectional area than that of the first flow tube; and e) a gas sheath generator which forms a sheath of gas around the particles suspended in a transport gas, before the combined flow interacts with the axial constrictor.
- 2. The generator of claim 1, further comprising a flow stripper.
- 3. The generator of claim 1, further comprising a focuser having an input flow tube and multiple constrictor stages, each constrictor stage comprising an axial constrictor and an output flow tube, the internal cross-sectional areas of the flow tubes decreasing in the direction of the transport gas flow.
- 4. The generator of claim 3, further comprising a gas sheath generator which forms a sheath of gas around the particles suspended in a transport gas, before the combined flow interacts with the first axial constrictor.
- 5. The generator of claim 4, wherein the generator further comprises an output nozzle.
- 6. The generator of claim 5, wherein the output nozzle interacts with the combined flow so as to produce supersonic particle velocities.
- 7. The generator of claim 5, wherein the output nozzle is a De Laval nozzle.
- 8. The generator of claim 4, wherein said gas sheath generator comprises a sheath gas injector.
- 9. The generator of claim 4, wherein said gas sheath generator comprises a porous flow tube.
- 10. The generator of claim 1, wherein the generator further comprises an output nozzle.
- 11. The generator of claim 10, wherein the output nozzle interacts with the particles suspended in flowing gas so as to produce supersonic particle velocities.
- 12. The generator of claim 10, wherein the output nozzle is a De Laval nozzle.
- 13. The generator of claim 1, further comprising an output nozzle.
- 14. The generator of claim 13, wherein the output nozzle interacts with the combined flow so as to produce supersonic particle velocities.
- 15. The generator of claim 13, wherein the output nozzle is a De Laval nozzle.
- 16. The generator of claim 1, wherein said gas sheath generator comprises a sheath gas injector.
- 17. The generator of claim 1, wherein said gas sheath
Government Interests
This invention was made with Government support under Contract DE-AC04-94DP85000 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
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