Plasma Cell Heat Pipe Thermal Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Laser-sustained plasma light sources face challenges in thermal management, as increasing plasma power and size lead to glass cell overheating, risking rupture due to inadequate cooling mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A refillable plasma cell design incorporating a glass bulb transparent to selected radiation wavelengths, equipped with a gas port assembly for pressure control, a heat pipe for thermal management, and radiation shields to mitigate radiation damage, along with electrodeless configurations to reduce heating sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If plasma power and size are increased to improve illumination intensity, then the glass cell overheats and risks rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful thermal energy from the plasma cell by introducing a heat pipe that conducts heat away from the glass cell walls. The heat pipe is in thermal communication with the plasma region and transfers excess heat to a heat sink, effectively removing the thermal burden that causes glass cell overheating and rupture while allowing higher plasma power operation
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe acts as an intermediary thermal management component between the plasma region and the glass cell. It provides a dedicated thermal conduction path that mediates the heat transfer process, allowing the plasma to operate at higher powers without directly heating the glass cell to dangerous temperatures
2Illumination intensity
If plasma size is increased to improve illumination output, then thermal management becomes increasingly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe provides passive thermal management that requires no external control systems or active cooling mechanisms. It automatically conducts heat from the plasma region to the heat sink based on temperature gradients, enabling the system to self-regulate thermal conditions even as plasma size and power increase, thereby avoiding increased device complexity
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 controls gas pressure and temperature within the plasma cell, minimizing the risk of glass bulb rupture and enhancing the operational stability of laser-sustained plasma light sources.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pipe in thermal communication with the one or more electrodes, the heat pipe further being in thermal communication with a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
Laser-sustained light sources operate by focusing laser radiation into a gas volume in order to excite the gas
Implementation Method 3
The absorption of laser power by the plasma then generates and sustains the plasma (e.g., 12K-14K plasma)
Implementation Method 4
the electrodes of a given plasma cell may produce a discharge arc or corona discharge suitable for initiating plasma generation
Data Source
AI summary
A refillable plasma cell for use in a laser-sustained plasma light source includes a plasma bulb, the bulb being formed from a glass material substantially transparent to a selected wavelength of radiation, and a gas port assembly, the gas port assembly being operably connected to the bulb and disposed at a first portion of the gas bulb, wherein the bulb is configured to selectively receive a gas from a gas source via the gas port assembly.