Device for producing a non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma and active space comprising such a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11071193-B2
Application number	US-201816494274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A device for producing a non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma and an active space including such a device are disclosed. In an embodiment a device includes a first housing, in which a piezoelectric transformer is arranged and a second housing, in which a control circuit is arranged, the control circuit configured to apply an input voltage to the piezoelectric transformer, wherein the first housing comprises a coating configured to eradicate irritant gases.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a first housing, in which a piezoelectric transformer is arranged; and
a second housing, in which a control circuit is arranged, wherein the control circuit is configured to apply an input voltage to the piezoelectric transformer,
wherein the control circuit comprises a time circuit,
wherein the device is configured to operate in a pulsed mode in which time intervals in which the piezoelectric transformer is activated and pause intervals in which the piezoelectric transformer is deactivated alternate,
wherein the piezoelectric transformer is activated in the time intervals based on the time circuit without taking into account other operating parameters of the piezoelectric transformer,
wherein the piezoelectric transformer is deactivated in the pause intervals based on the time circuit,
wherein a length of a pause interval is determined by a purely time-based control system, and
wherein the device is configured to produce a non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one control element arranged at the first housing or the second housing, the at least one control element configured to control generation of the plasma.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing comprises a coating configured to eradicate irritant gases.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the coating comprises manganese dioxide, iron oxide, other metal oxides, bare metal surfaces or surface coated with metal catalysts, or lacquers.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric transformer is configured to produce piezoelectrically ignited microplasma on an output-side end face of the piezoelectric transformer.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are separate from each other.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit and the piezoelectric transformer are connected to each other via a cable.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the cable has a length of at least 1 cm.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing comprises a nozzle, which is arranged in front of an end face of the piezoelectric transformer and which is configured to form a plasma beam generated by the piezoelectric transformer.

10. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a third housing, comprising a piezoelectric transformer, wherein the first housing is replaceable by the third housing.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing is configured to eradicate irritant gases produced during plasma production.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the first housing comprises a filter and/or a closed gas guidance system and/or a suction device configured to eradicate the irritant gases.

13. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a control mechanism configured to adjust an amount and/or a composition of a process medium supplied to the piezoelectric transformer.

14. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an attachment attached to the first housing, wherein the attachment forms a dielectric barrier immediately in front of an output-side end face of the piezoelectric transformer so that the device is configured to ignite a plasma by dielectric barrier discharge on a side of the dielectric barrier facing away from the piezoelectric transformer.

15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of piezoelectric transformers are arranged in the first housing.

16. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are formed by two chambers of an injection-molded part.

17. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are separated from each other in a watertight manner.

18. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are separated from each other in a gastight manner.

19. The device according to claim 1 , wherein an energy supply of the device is arranged in the second housing.

20. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is a portable handheld device.

21. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein process-gas-supply means are arranged in the second housing, and
wherein the device comprises a hose configured to guide a process gas from the process-gas-supply means out of the second housing to the piezoelectric transformer arranged in the first housing.

22. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a suction spout configured to suck up irritant gas produced by the piezoelectric transformer, wherein the irritant gas is eradicated in the suction spout.

23. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to determine a filling level, temperature or humidity inside or in surroundings of an active space.

24. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising circuit components of a remote control configured to control a control system.

25. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising circuit elements configured to report operating times, errors, status information, and operating parameters.

26. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more indicators for optical or acoustic signaling of one or more operating parameters.

27. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to enable, accelerate or catalyze chemical reactions.

28. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to activate or to sterilize surfaces.

29. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to clean or to treat wounds of a human or an animal.

30. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a fan and a catalytic converter arranged in the first housing, wherein the fan is configured to ensure a circulating air operation thereby guiding a process medium ionized by the piezoelectric transformer in the first housing within a circuit, and through the catalytic converter before the process medium is supplied back to the piezoelectric transformer.

31. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing comprises a heat exchanger configured to dissipate heat from an inside of the first housing to an environment.

32. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one projection, which is spaced apart from the piezoelectric transformer when the piezoelectric transformer is at a state of rest, and which forms an end-stop against transverse movements of the piezoelectric transformer, wherein an input region of the piezoelectric transformer rests on a first support element.

33. The device according to claim 32 , wherein the projection is arranged at half a length of the piezoelectric transformer.

34. The device according to claim 32 , further comprising a second projection, which is spaced apart from the piezoelectric transformer when the piezoelectric transformer is at a state of rest, and which forms an end-stop against transverse movements of the piezoelectric transformer, and wherein the second projection is arranged at an input-side end of the piezoelectric transformer.

35. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first housing is se

Assignees

• Tdk Electronics Ag
• Relyon Plasma Gmbh

Inventors

• Pichler Johann
• Kügerl Georg
• Puff Markus
• Kudela Pavol
• Nettesheim Stefan
• Korzec Dariusz
• Burger Dominik

Classifications

• H05H1/46

  using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy (H05H1/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05H1/36

  Circuit arrangements (H05H1/38, H05H1/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• H05H2245/36

  Sterilisation of objects, liquids, volumes or surfaces · CPC title

• H05H2245/40

  Surface treatments · CPC title

• H05H2245/60

  Portable devices · CPC title