Claims
- 1. A method for conducting corona discharge reactions between spaced opposing electrodes each having an exposed dielectric surface having a thickness of from about 0.1 to about 10.0 mm and a dielectric constant of from about 2.0 to about 200 relative to vacuum; and a dielectric strength sufficient to withstand applied voltage for forming therebetween a corona discharge gap comprising:
- passing a reactant gas through said corona discharge gap:
- periodically establishing a corona discharge between said gap by dissipating narrow pulse electrical power of high voltage in said gap with the width of said pulses being relatively small compared to the pulse period as well as being less than the gas ion transit time across said gap and greater than the electron transit time across said gap; and
- removing gas ions from said gap before termination of each pulse period.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said narrow pulses have a peak voltage of from 2 to 200 K volts and wherein the pulse period is selected from between 0.1 to 200 KH.sub.z.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said reactant gas comprises oxygen.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said pulses are of the same or alternating polarity.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said gas ions are removed by withdrawing said reactant gas from said gap to permit recombination of said gas ions prior to exposure of said reactant gas to subsequent corona discharge.
- 6. The method of claim 5 wherein said reactant gas is exposed to less than about 100 pulses prior to removal from said gap.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said gap has a width to length ratio of from about 2:1 to 100:1 with respect to the direction of gas flow.
- 8. The method of claim 6 wherein said gas is exposed to 5 to 100 pulses prior to such removal.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said gas is subjected to two or more of said exposures to corona.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said gas is held for a period of about 10.sup.-.sup.3 to 10.sup.-.sup.2 seconds before a subsequent exposure to said corona pulses.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein said removed gas is cooled prior to subsequent exposure to corona.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein said gas ions are removed by application of a negatively charged gas ion neutralizing component.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein said neutralizing component is selected from the group consisting of finely divided solid particles and liquid particles having a particle size of less than about 0.1 micron.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said liquid particles comprises water supplied in the form of a water aerosol in an amount to provide a water to ozone weight ratio of about 25.
- 15. The method of claim 13 wherein said finely divided solid particles are selected from the group consisting of silica gel and carbon black.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein said gas ions are removed by selecting the width of the narrow pulses from about 1 to 50 percent of the singly charged gas ion transit time.
- 17. The method of claim 1 further comprising introducing a grid between said spaced electrodes and applying a potential to said grid.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 558,046, filed March 13, 1975.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3833492 |
Bollyky |
Sep 1974 |
|
3883413 |
Douglas-Hamilton |
May 1975 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
689,301 |
Jun 1964 |
CA |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
558046 |
Mar 1975 |
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