Long Arc Column Gas Discharge Tube Deuterium Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low pressure high intensity arc lamps face challenges with Deuterium gas loss due to permeable materials, labor-intensive construction, and difficult arc control, particularly requiring multiple glass transitions and special coatings to manage thermal expansion and gas permeability.
Innovation Solution
A gas discharge tube with a high density ceramic body and sapphire window, where the anode and cathode are positioned to create a long arc column discharge path, using a hermetically sealed structure with minimal conductive metal and electrically insulated components, allowing for controlled Deuterium retention and high intensity UV light production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If quartz or glass is used for the lamp body, then the lamp can be manufactured with standard materials, but the body material is not dense enough to eliminate the slow loss of Deuterium gas due to permeability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from quartz/glass to high density ceramic, fundamentally altering the permeability characteristic to eliminate Deuterium gas loss through the body material
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite construction combining high density ceramic body with specific window materials and coatings, creating a multi-material system that addresses permeability while maintaining optical properties
2Reliability
If ceramic or glaze coatings are applied to reduce gas permeability, then Deuterium loss is reduced, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental material parameter to high density ceramic that inherently provides low permeability, eliminating the need for additional coating processes to achieve gas retention
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple glass transitions are used to compensate for thermal expansion differences, then the lamp can accommodate different materials, but the manufacturing process becomes labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses homogeneous material selection where the high density ceramic body and window materials have matched thermal expansion coefficients, eliminating the need for complex multi-step glass transition processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure using materials with compatible thermal properties, specifically matching the thermal expansion of the ceramic body with the window material to simplify assembly
4Reliability
If Nickel is presaturated with Deuterium to replenish lost gas, then Deuterium loss is compensated, but the process becomes labor intensive and requires multiple materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter to high density ceramic that inherently prevents Deuterium permeation, eliminating the need for Nickel presaturation and related complex processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the Nickel component entirely from the construction, extracting the problematic element that required presaturation and ongoing maintenance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a stable, long-life UV light source with high luminance, minimizing Deuterium loss and simplifying the manufacturing process by using materials with similar thermal expansion, enabling efficient sealing and easy assembly without the need for multiple joints or special coatings.
Implementation Method 1
a gas discharge tube in which favorable stability is provided that has long life while realizing high luminance
Implementation Method 2
high density ceramic body and sapphire window mounted in line with the first discharge path... which materials have similar thermal expansions which allows them to easily seal together by means of a fused glass frit or metal braze
Implementation Method 3
As the electrons move through the low pressure gas ionization of the gas occurs releasing photons in the UV region of the spectrum
Implementation Method 4
The cathode includes an element to produce electrons which are accelerated through the first discharge path towards the anode in response to the electric field
Implementation Method 5
generating discharge between an anode and a cathode... producing a high intensity light source
Implementation Method 6
a sapphire window mounted in line with the first discharge path... which exits the lamp through a sapphire window
Implementation Method 7
which materials have similar thermal expansions which allows them to easily seal together
Data Source
AI summary
A low pressure Ultra Violet (UV) light source produces a high intensity output proportional to the inside diameter and length of a arc discharge column. The light source includes a cathode and anode contained within a high density ceramic body and a sapphire window mounted in line with the arc discharge column. The anode is in line with the arc column at the end opposite the sapphire window, and the cathode is disposed to an area outside the arc discharge column to which the arc moves through an aperture in the side of the arc discharge column structure. As the electrons move through the low pressure gas ionization of the gas occurs releasing photons in the UV region of the spectrum. The sum of the photons generated at each location along the arc discharge column produces the high intensity UV radiation that exits the lamp through a sapphire window.