Compact High-Voltage Feedthrough for Vacuum Flashover Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fusion energy technologies face challenges in achieving net positive energy output and are not suitable for compact, cost-effective, and rapid deployment in remote or space-based applications due to issues with high-voltage operation in vacuum environments, leading to surface flashover and elevated stable dark current.
Innovation Solution
The development of compact feedthroughs using dielectric materials and structures that reduce electron emission and secondary electron generation, incorporating magnetic fields to control electron trajectories and prevent surface flashover, allowing operation at voltages up to ±600 kVDC with minimal dark current and no stable dark current at ultra-high vacuum pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional high-voltage feedthroughs are used in vacuum environments, then voltage transmission is achieved, but surface flashover occurs and dark current increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a non-uniform electric field distribution through specifically shaped electrodes and dielectric structures. The feedthrough incorporates regions with different electric field intensities, concentrating field lines in areas that prevent electron emission and reducing field strength at surfaces where flashover would occur. This localized field management directly addresses the surface flashover and dark current problems while maintaining high-voltage transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dielectric materials as intermediary substances between the high-voltage conductor and the vacuum environment. These dielectric barriers serve as mediators that control electron emission, prevent direct electrical breakdown, and reduce secondary electron generation. The dielectric structures act as a buffer zone that manages the interaction between the electric field and vacuum, thereby eliminating surface flashover and dark current issues.
2Productivity
If compact fusion reactors are developed for rapid deployment, then deployment speed increases, but high-voltage vacuum operation challenges persist
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the feedthrough system by optimizing dielectric material properties, electrode geometries, and electric field distribution patterns. These parameter modifications enable the compact feedthrough to operate stably at high voltages in vacuum environments, resolving the reliability issues that would otherwise prevent rapid deployment of compact fusion reactors. The parameter optimization allows the system to maintain stability without requiring larger, more complex conventional feedthrough designs.
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 effectively prevents surface flashover and reduces dark current, enabling reliable high-voltage operation in vacuum environments, thus addressing the limitations of existing fusion technologies and facilitating the deployment of compact fusion systems.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating magnetic fields to control electron trajectories and prevent surface flashover
Implementation Method 2
The structure of the dielectric materials on a vacuum side is configured to reduce the number and energy of electrons emitted from a conductor into the vacuum
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, components, and methods for feeding high voltage into a vacuum chamber are provided. An exemplary feedthrough includes a dielectric flange defining a first side, a second side, and an aperture extending from the first side to the second side and a conductor disposed through the aperture and forming a contact with the dielectric flange on the first side.