139 results about "Plasma lamp" patented technology

A plasma lamp including a waveguide body comprising at least one dielectric material. The body is coupled to a microwave power source which causes the body to resonate in at least one resonant mode. A lamp chamber integrated with the body contains a bulb with a fill forming a light-emitting plasma when the chamber receives power from the resonating body. A bulb either is self-enclosed or an envelope sealed by a window or lens covering the chamber aperture. Embodiments disclosed include lamps having a drive probe and a feedback probe, and lamps having a drive probe, feedback probe and start probe, which minimize power reflected from the body back to the source.

A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp (DWIPL) with a body comprising at least one dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than approximately 2, and having a shape and dimensions such that the body resonates in at least one resonant mode when microwave energy of an appropriate frequency is coupled into the body. A dielectric bulb within a lamp chamber in the body contains a fill which when receiving energy from the resonating body forms a light-emitting plasma. The bulb is transparent to visible light and infrared radiation emitted by the plasma. Radiative energy lost from the plasma is recycled by reflecting the radiation from thin-film, multi-layer coatings on bulb exterior surfaces and / or lamp chamber surfaces back into the bulb. The lamp further includes two- or three-microwave probe configurations minimizing power reflected from the body back to the microwave source when the source operates: (a) at a frequency such that the body resonates in a single mode; or (b) at one frequency such that the body resonates in a relatively higher mode before a plasma is formed, and at another frequency such that the body resonates in a relatively lower order mode after the plasma reaches steady state.

In one aspect the plasma lamp according to the present invention comprises a gas envelope that is constructed from ceramic material and a sapphire window rather than quartz. According to another aspect of the present invention, a plasma lamp comprises an RF structure for the radio wave radiation and an envelope for housing the excitation gas that are formed so as to constitute a single, integrated ceramic structure. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the plasma lamp comprises a waveguide structure having solid material such as ceramic rather than air for the dielectric and a gas housing made of a combination of solid ceramic and a sapphire window. In this way, the separate quartz gas envelope and air-filled waveguide structure employed in the prior art are replaced by a single, integrated structure.

A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp (DWIPL) with a body comprising at least one dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than approximately 2, and having a shape and dimensions such that the body resonates in at least one resonant mode when microwave energy of an appropriate frequency is coupled into the body. A dielectric bulb within a lamp chamber in the body contains a fill which when receiving energy from the resonating body forms a light-emitting plasma. The bulb is transparent to visible light and infrared radiation emitted by the plasma. Radiative energy lost from the plasma is recycled by reflecting the radiation from thin-film, multi-layer coatings on bulb exterior surfaces and / or lamp chamber surfaces back into the bulb. The lamp further includes two- or three-microwave probe configurations minimizing power reflected from the body back to the microwave source when the source operates: (a) at a frequency such that the body resonates in a single mode; or (b) at one frequency such that the body resonates in a relatively higher mode before a plasma is formed, and at another frequency such that the body resonates in a relatively lower order mode after the plasma reaches steady state.

Described is a plasma electrode-less lamp. The device comprises an electromagnetic resonator and an electromagnetic radiation source conductively connected with the electromagnetic resonator. The device further comprises a pair of field probes, the field probes conductively connected with the electromagnetic resonator. A gas-fill vessel is formed from a closed, transparent body, forming a cavity. The gas-fill vessel is not contiguous with (detached from) the electromagnetic resonator and is capacitively coupled with the field probes. The gas-fill vessel further contains a gas within the cavity, whereby the gas is induced to emit light when electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source resonates inside the electromagnetic resonator, the electromagnetic resonator capacitively coupling the electromagnetic radiation to the gas, which becomes a plasma and emits light.

A device that converts non-visible electromagnetic energy into light. The device includes a cylindrical electromagnetic resonator with a central through hole, a dielectric (preferably ceramic) material surrounded by symmetrically displaced through holes surrounding the central through hole. The device also includes a base and probes connected to the base. The probes are placed to introduce non-visible electromagnetic energy into the resonator. The device also includes a plasma lamp placed in the central through hole. The plasma lamp is placed to convert the non-visible electromagnetic energy into light. Preferably, the resonator is composed of a ceramic with a metalized surface except for inside the through holes. Also, a device that converts electricity into light and vice versa, a device that emits modulated light based on input modulated non-visible electromagnetic energy, and a device that emits modulated non-visible electromagnetic energy based on input modulated light, all implemented using a cylindrical electromagnetic resonator.

A plasma lamp including a waveguide body consisting essentially of at least one solid dielectric material. The body is coupled to a microwave power source which causes the body to resonate in at least one resonant mode. A lamp chamber integrated into the body contains a fill mixture which forms a light-emitting plasma when the chamber receives microwave power from the resonating waveguide body. The chamber has an aperture sealed to the external environment by a window or lens allowing light to be transmitted. Alternatively, the fill is in a self-enclosed bulb positioned in the chamber. Embodiments disclosed include lamps having a drive probe and a feedback probe, and lamps having a drive probe, feedback probe and start probe, which minimize power reflected from the body back to the source both before the plasma is formed and after it reaches steady state.

Described is a plasma electrode-less lamp. The device comprises an electromagnetic resonator and an electromagnetic radiation source conductively connected with the electromagnetic resonator. The device further comprises a pair of field probes, the field probes conductively connected with the electromagnetic resonator. A gas-fill vessel is formed from a closed, transparent body, forming a cavity. The gas-fill vessel is not contiguous with (detached from) the electromagnetic resonator and is capacitively coupled with the field probes. The gas-fill vessel further contains a gas within the cavity, whereby the gas is induced to emit light when electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source resonates inside the electromagnetic resonator, the electromagnetic resonator capacitively coupling the electromagnetic radiation to the gas, which becomes a plasma and emits light.

A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp (DWIPL) with a body consisting essentially of at least one dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than approximately 2, and having a shape and dimensions such that the body resonates in at least one resonant mode when microwave energy of an appropriate frequency is coupled into the body. A bulb positioned in at least one lamp chamber in the body contains a gas-fill which when receiving energy from the resonating body forms a light-emitting plasma.

An ultraviolet radiation curing system is disclosed for treating a substrate, such as fiber optic cable or silicone tubing. The system comprises a processing chamber allowing transport of a continuous piece of substrate to be treated. As the substrate moves through the processing chamber, ultraviolet radiation from a plasma lamp activated by a microwave generator treats the surface of the substrate. The system comprises two elliptical reflectors of different sizes so that larger diameter substrates may be efficiently treated with ultraviolet radiation. The system may also comprise an ultraviolet-transmissive conduit enclosing the substrate and split into a first portion and a second portion, where the second portion is movable from the first portion to open the conduit and allow insertion or alignment of the substrate within the conduit and processing chamber.

A plasma device serves as an antenna, single or stacked plasma frequency selective surfaces, single or stacked plasma antenna arrays, plasma lamps, plasma limiters, plasma switch, plasma windows or plasma phase shifters. An electromagnetic wave signal is controlled to have a plasma frequency matched as nearly as possible to the frequency of incident electromagnetic signals for maximizing the antenna aperture and efficiency. Matching the frequencies permits the plasma device to have a physical size and shape substantially independent of the conventional optimal size and shape for a given transceived signal frequency. The plasma device plasma frequency is adjustable for tuning to different incident signal frequencies, thereby providing flexibility not available from conventional metal antennas.

An electrode-less plasma lamps, comprising generally of a bulb containing a gas-fill that is excited to produce light using radio-frequency (RF) energy. In specific embodiments, the use of grounded coupling-elements with integrated bulb assemblies simplifies manufacturability, improves resonant frequency control, and enables the use of solid, partially filled, and hollow lamp bodies.

An electrode-less plasma lamps, comprising generally of a bulb containing a gas-fill that is excited to produce light using radio-frequency (RF) energy. In specific embodiments, the use of grounded coupling-elements with integrated bulb assemblies simplifies manufacturability, improves resonant frequency control, and enables the use of solid, partially filled, and hollow lamp bodies.

A plasma device serves as an antenna, single or stacked plasma frequency selective surfaces, single or stacked plasma antenna arrays, plasma lamps, plasma limiters, plasma switch, plasma windows or plasma phase shifters. An electromagnetic wave signal is controlled to have a plasma frequency matched as nearly as possible to the frequency of incident electromagnetic signals for maximizing the antenna aperture and efficiency. Matching the frequencies permits the plasma device to have a physical size and shape substantially independent of the conventional optimal size and shape for a given transceived signal frequency. The plasma device plasma frequency is adjustable for tuning to different incident signal frequencies, thereby providing flexibility not available from conventional metal antennas.

Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus, method, and program product to control a lamp system. The apparatus comprises a plasma lamp bulb (20) and a microwave generator (12) operable to generate a microwave energy field to excite the plasma lamp bulb (20) to emit ultraviolet light (24). The apparatus further comprises a sensor (70) to measure the intensity of the ultraviolet light (24) and a reflector (42) positioned between the plasma lamp bulb (20) and the sensor (70) The reflector (42) is operable to reflect at least a portion of the ultraviolet light (24) generated by the plasma lamp bulb (20). The method comprises receiving a target intensity for the ultraviolet light (24) and measuring an intensity of the ultraviolet light (24) using a sensor (70). The method further comprises comparing the target intensity to the measured intensity and, in response to the comparison, adjusting power to a microwave generator (12) to adjust the intensity of the ultraviolet light (24).

The invention relates to a three-electrode discharge device for generating a large-volume atmosphere pressure plasma. The device comprises a coaxial medium tube, a grounding flat hydropower pole, a tungsten needle electrode and a low temperature plasma generator power source, wherein the coaxial medium tube is a double-layer tubular sealed container having an axial center inner-cavity and a U-shaped section, and the side wall of the sealed container is provided with an air inlet used for filling working air; the tungsten needle electrode is inserted from the seal end of the coaxial medium tube into a center inner-cavity of the coaxial medium tube, the front end of the tungsten needle electrode is positioned at the open end of the center inner-cavity of the coaxial medium tube, and the back end of the tungsten needle electrode is connected with an output electrode of the low temperature plasma generator power source; and the grounding flat hydropower pole is positioned on the outer side of the open end of the coaxial medium tube, and is electrically connected with a grounding electrode of the low temperature plasma generator power source. The device can be used in the technical fields of plasma lamp and plasma display manufacturing, plasma film generation, plasma surface modification and the like, and can be used for generation of ozone, treatment for waste water and exhaust gas, sterilization and disinfection, plasma stealth and the like.

A plasma lamp is provided having an integrated dielectric waveguide structure having a body, a gas housing formed within the body and having an aperture formed at a first outer surface of the body, a fill mixture disposed within the gas housing, and a probe operatively coupled to the body so that microwave energy supplied to the fill mixture forms a plasma that emits high intensity light.

An optical system and method including an integrated light source and optical waveguide that relies on internal reflection for coupling the light emitted from the source to the waveguide. The light source may include electroded or electrodeless plasma lamps, LEDs, and filament lamps. The optical waveguide may be shaped to form a compound parabolic waveguide. A system may also include an integrated light source, microwave waveguide, and optical coupler.

An ultraviolet radiation curing system is disclosed for treating a substrate, such as fiber optic cable or silicone tubing. The system comprises a processing chamber allowing transport of a continuous piece of substrate to be treated. As the substrate moves through the processing chamber, ultraviolet radiation from a plasma lamp activated by a microwave generator treats the surface of the substrate. The system comprises two elliptical reflectors of different sizes so that larger diameter substrates may be efficiently treated with ultraviolet radiation. The system may also comprise an ultraviolet-transmissive conduit enclosing the substrate and split into a first portion and a second portion, where the second portion is movable from the first portion to open the conduit and allow insertion or alignment of the substrate within the conduit and processing chamber.

An ultraviolet radiation generating system and methods is disclosed for treating a coating on a substrate, such as a coating on a fiber optic cable. The system comprises a microwave chamber having one or more ports capable of permitting the substrate to travel within or through a processing space of the microwave chamber. A microwave generator is coupled to the microwave chamber for exciting a longitudinally-extending plasma lamp mounted within the processing space of the microwave chamber. The plasma lamp emits ultraviolet radiation for irradiating the substrate in the processing space. A reflector is mounted within the processing space of the microwave chamber and is capable of reflecting ultraviolet radiation to uniformly irradiate the substrate in a surrounding fashion. When the system is operating, the microwave chamber is substantially closed to emission of microwave energy and ultraviolet radiation.

The present invention is directed to devices and methods for generating light with plasma lamps. More particularly, the present invention provides plasma lamps driven by a radio-frequency source without the use of electrodes inside the bulb and related methods. In a specific embodiment, a coaxial type coupling module is used to drive an electrodeless bulb. Merely by way of example, such plasma lamps can be applied to applications such as stadiums, security, parking lots, military and defense, street lighting, large and small buildings, vehicle headlamps, aircraft landing, bridges, warehouses, UV water treatment, agriculture, architectural lighting, stage lighting, medical illumination, microscopes, projectors and displays, any combination of these, and the like.

An electrodeless plasma lamp and method of generating light are described. The lamp may comprise a lamp body, a source of radio frequency (RF) power and a bulb. The lamp body may comprise a solid dielectric material and at least one conductive element within the solid dielectric material. The source of RF power is configured to provide RF power and an RF feed configured to radiate the RF power from the RF source into the lamp body. One or more tuning mechanisms allow tuning of the lamp body to a given resonant frequency. The bulb is positioned proximate the lamp body and contains a fill that forms a plasma when the RF power is coupled to the fill from the lamp body. The at least one conductive element is configured to concentrate an electric field proximate the bulb.

An electrode-less plasma lamp, comprising generally of a bulb containing a gas-fill and light emitter(s) that is excited to produce light using radio-frequency (RF) energy. The present lamp includes compact air resonators / waveguides that use grounded coupling-elements with integrated bulb assemblies to reduce the size of the resonator and improve the performance of the lamp as well as reduce cost and simplify manufacturability.

Described is an electrode-less plasma lamp comprising a gas-fill vessel, a gas-fill contained within the gas-fill vessel, an RF electromagnetic radiation source, an RF electromagnetic resonator, an output probe that couples RF energy from the RF electromagnetic resonator to the gas-fill vessel, an input probe that couples RF energy from the RF electromagnetic radiation source to the resonator, and a grounding strap that holds a metal veneer surrounding the resonator and a portion of the gas-fill vessel at RF ground. Also described are many variations of the electrode-less plasma lamp, non-limiting examples of which include embodiments that employ other probes in a Dielectric Resonant Oscillator to drive the lamp, a lamp employing more than one resonator per gas-fill vessel, and many methods of improving light-harvesting, including raising the gas-fill vessel away from the resonator via a coaxial transmission line, and collecting light with an optical reflector.

A method and system for replacing an electrodeless plasma lamp from a resonator assembly. The system includes a base support and a post member. The base support is coupled to the resonator assembly. The post member supports the bulb and is coupled to the base support through a mating region.

A laser sustained plasma lamp includes a mechanically sealed pressurized chamber assembly (330) configured to contain an ionizable material. The chamber assembly is bounded by a chamber tube (310), an ingress sapphire window (340), a first metal seal ring (320) configured to seal against the chamber tube ingress end and the ingress sapphire window, an egress sapphire window (342), and a second metal seal ring (322) configured to seal against the chamber tube egress end and the egress sapphire window. A mechanical clamping structure (350, 355) external to the chamber assembly is configured to clamp across at least a portion of the ingress sapphire window and the egress sapphire window. The ingress sapphire window and the egress sapphire window are not connected to the chamber tube via welding and / or brazing.

An electrodeless plasma lamp array structure uses multiple plasma lamps to produce large amounts of electromagnetic radiation (visible, IR, UV, or a combination of visible, IR, and UV). An M by N array configuration is powered by either a single RF power source or multiple RF power sources. The array incorporates controllers to adjust the power delivered from the RF power source to each lamp within the array. By adjusting the delivered RF power, the intensity of electromagnetic radiation that is emitted from each lamp is controlled independently allowing for the creation of an array of lamps that emit electromagnetic radiation of varying intensity levels at different places within the array. Using lamps with different color temperatures as part of the array allows the color temperature and the color rendering index of the illumination to achieve different lighting conditions.

Provided is a microwave plasma discharge lamp apparatus which includes a rectangular waveguide having a rectangular shape one end of which is closed and the other end is open and receiving a microwave through an opening to put out linearly polarized microwaves; a discharge lamp; a resonator cavity, formed in a cylindrical shape, one end of which is open, which is disposed to surround the discharge lamp, and which is made of a conductive mesh, thereby allowing the passage of the light from the discharge lamp; and a phase shifter, which has a cross-shaped waveguide opened in a propagation direction of the linearly polarized microwaves, is disposed between the other end of the rectangular waveguide and one end of the resonator cavity, and receives the linearly polarized microwaves from the rectangular waveguide to generate elliptically polarized microwaves in the cylindrical resonator cavity. The elliptically polarized microwaves discharge the discharge lamp.