JP7200451B2 - In-liquid plasma generator - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an in-liquid plasma generator, and more particularly to an in-liquid plasma device in which the distance between a pair of electrodes can be adjusted.

Conventionally, an in-liquid plasma apparatus that generates plasma between a pair of electrodes is known. For example, according to Patent Document 1, an in-liquid plasma generator includes a container for holding a liquid, an in-liquid plasma electrode arranged in the liquid of the container, a counter electrode arranged to face the electrode, and an in-liquid A high-frequency power source connected to the plasma electrode and the counter electrode, and an actuator. The in-liquid plasma electrode and the counter electrode are provided with a conductive wire and a tubular insulating member covering the outer periphery thereof. A space is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the insulating member and the outer peripheral surface of the conductive wire so that the conductive wire can slide with respect to the insulating member. By using the actuator, the conductive wire of the electrode for in-liquid plasma can be slid toward the counter electrode, and the conductive wire of the counter electrode can be slid toward the electrode for in-liquid plasma.

A metal can be used as the material of the conductive wire, and the conductive wire has the property of being melted by the generation of plasma. Dissolution of the conductive wire increases the distance between the electrode for plasma in liquid and the counter electrode. It can be moved and good plasma generation can be achieved.

JP 2014-167880

However, in the conventional in-liquid plasma generator, only the conductive wire of the electrode can move relative to the container, and the insulating member cannot move. For example, if the positional relationship between the insulating member and the electrode affects plasma generation, both the insulating member and the electrode must be moved to establish the optimum position. Further, the positional relationship between the insulating member and the electrodes may change depending on the characteristics of the electrodes and the characteristics of the liquid held in the container. In these cases, the conventional plasma generator cannot efficiently generate plasma.

An object of the present invention is to provide an in-liquid plasma generator in which not only the electrodes are movable in the axial direction, but also the insulating member is movable.

The present invention comprises an apparatus main body, a container positioned in the apparatus main body and capable of holding a liquid, a pair of electrodes held in the container and facing and spaced apart in the X-axis direction, and covering the electrodes and with respect to the electrodes. a first moving means for moving the electrode and the insulating member in the X-axis direction; and a second moving means for moving the insulating member in the X-axis direction. , is provided.
Therefore, the electrodes facing each other can be moved in the X-axis direction by the first moving means, and the insulating member and the electrodes can be moved relative to each other by the second moving means. can be generated.

A cover member located above the electrode and blocking a part of the flow of the liquid, and a third moving means for moving the cover member in a Z-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction. and

By providing the cover member, the diffusing Joule heat can be retained, and plasma can be generated more efficiently. Furthermore, since the cover member can be moved by the third moving means, the efficiency of plasma generation can be further improved.

A part of the electrode protrudes from the tip of the insulating member.
Plasma can be generated between the exposed electrodes by protruding the electrodes from the insulating member, and the amount of plasma generation can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of exposure.

The device main body includes a casing and a lid, and the first moving means and the second moving means are provided on the lid.
By providing the first moving means and the second moving means on the lid portion, the moving operation of the electrodes and the insulating member can be performed from the outside of the device body.

The device main body includes a casing and a lid, and the third moving means is provided on the lid.
By providing the third moving means in the lid portion, the insulating member can be moved from the outside of the apparatus main body.

According to the in-liquid plasma generator according to the present invention, since the first moving means capable of moving the electrode and the insulating member and the second moving means capable of moving only the insulating member are provided, both the electrode and the insulating member It can be adjusted to generate a desired plasma according to the properties of the electrodes and liquid used.

1 is a front view of an in-liquid plasma generator; FIG. II-II line sectional view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2; Explanatory drawing of a cover member.

An embodiment of the in-liquid plasma generator of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Liquid Plasma Generator 1>
1 and 2, the in-liquid plasma generator 1 includes a device main body 2, a container 3 positioned in the device main body 2 and capable of holding a liquid, and an insulating member 5 covering the periphery of the electrodes 4 . The electrode 4 and the insulating member 5 are movable in the X-axis direction by the first moving means 6, and only the insulating member 5 is also movable in the X-axis direction by the second moving means 7. FIG.

<Device body 2>
The apparatus main body 2 includes a housing portion 21 capable of holding the container 3 therein, and a lid portion 22 positioned on the upper portion of the housing portion 21 . The first moving means 6 and the second moving means 7 are fixed to the lid portion 22 .

<Electrode 4>
Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the electrodes 4 comprise an electrode 41 on one side and an electrode 42 on the other side. One electrode 41 and the other electrode 42 extend in the lateral direction of the drawing, that is, in the X-axis direction 11 coinciding with the axial direction of the electrode 4, and their tips face each other with a gap therebetween. A conductive wire having conductivity can be used as one electrode 41 and the other electrode 42, and for example, a metal material or a carbon material can be used. A high-frequency power supply (not shown) is connected to one electrode 41 and the other electrode 42 , and plasma can be generated between the electrodes 41 and 42 by supplying power to these electrodes 41 and 42 .

<Insulating member 5>
The outer circumference of the electrode 4 is covered with an insulating member 5 . That is, the one electrode 41 and the other electrode 42 are covered with the one insulating member 51 and the other insulating member 52 . Between the electrode 41 on one side and the insulating member 51 on the one side, and between the electrode 42 on the other side and the insulating member 52 on the other side, a gap is maintained to the extent that they can slide with each other. One insulating member 51 and the other insulating member 52 extend in the X-axis direction 11, respectively, and their tips 51A and 52A face each other. A portion of the electrode 41 protrudes from the tip 51A of the insulating member 51 on one side, and a portion of the electrode 42 protrudes from the tip 52A of the insulating member 52 on the other side. As the insulating member 51 on one side and the insulating member 52 on the other side, it is desirable to use a material that has high insulating properties and heat resistance that can withstand the heat generated by plasma generation. For example, a ceramic material can be used.

<First moving means 6>
The first moving means 6 is provided on each of the one electrode 41 side and the other electrode 42 side. The first moving means 6 includes an electrode holding portion 61 that holds the one electrode 41 and the other electrode 42 and extends in the Z-axis direction 12 that intersects the X-axis direction 11, one insulating member 51, and the other insulating member. 52 and an insulating member sandwiching portion 62 that is joined to each other via a support member 65 . The support member 65 is fixed around the insulating member 51 on one side and the insulating member 52 on the other side. The insulating member holding portion 62 has a hollow tubular shape extending in the Z-axis direction 12, and the electrode holding portion 61 is inserted into the hollow portion thereof. Referring particularly to FIG. 2, the electrode holding portion 61 and the insulating member holding portion 62 are each fixed to a first fixing member 63, and the first fixing member 63 is movable in the X-axis direction 11 by a first micrometer 64. It is A portion of the first fixing member 63 and the first micrometer 64 are arranged and fixed outside the lid portion 22 . When the dial of the first micrometer 64 is operated, the first fixing member 63 moves left or right in the X-axis direction 11 . When the first fixing member 63 moves, the electrode holding portion 61 and insulating member holding portion 62 fixed thereto also move, and the electrode 4 and insulating member 5 held therebetween also move in the X-axis direction 11 together. In this manner, the electrode 4 and the insulating member 5 can be simultaneously moved in the X-axis direction 11 by the first moving means 6 .

<Second Moving Means 7>
The second moving means 7 includes a second fixing member 71 fixed to each of the one insulating member 51 and the other insulating member 52, and a second micrometer 72 capable of moving the second fixing member 71 in the X-axis direction 11. and A portion of the second fixing member 71 and the second micrometer 72 are arranged and fixed outside the lid portion 22 . When the dial of the second micrometer 72 is operated, the second fixing member 71 moves left or right in the X-axis direction 11 . When the second fixing member 71 moves, the one insulating member 51 or the other insulating member 52 fixed thereto also moves. Note that the electrode 4 is not fixed to the second fixing member 71 . Therefore, only the insulating member 5 can be moved in the X-axis direction 11 by the second moving means 7 .

<Cover member 8>
Above the one electrode 41 and the other electrode 42 in the Z-axis direction 12, there is provided a cover member 8 that partially inhibits movement of the fluid. Referring particularly to FIG. 4, the cover member 8 is provided with recesses 81 opening towards the electrodes 41 on one side and the electrodes 42 on the other side. More specifically, the recess 81 is located above and between one electrode 41 and the other electrode 42 . Joule heat is generated between one electrode 41 and the other electrode 42, and plasma is generated by vaporizing the liquid. An ascending air current is generated and the Joule heat is diffused. The arrangement of the cover member 8 obstructs at least a part of this ascending air current, making it easier for the generated Joule heat to remain between the electrodes 41 and 42 . By retaining Joule heat in the vicinity of the electrodes, continuous and stable plasma generation becomes possible. The cover member 8 desirably has heat resistance, and can be made of, for example, quartz glass or ceramics.

<Third Moving Means 9>
The cover member 8 is movable in the Z-axis direction 12 by the third moving means 9 . The third moving means 9 includes a third fixed member 91 fixed to the cover member 8 and a third micrometer 92 capable of moving the third fixed member 91 in the Z-axis direction 12 . A portion of the third fixing member 91 and the third micrometer 92 are arranged and fixed outside the lid portion 22 . When the dial of the third micrometer 92 is operated, the third fixing member 91 moves up or down in the Z-axis direction 12 . When the third fixing member 91 moves, the cover member 8 fixed thereto also moves. Therefore, the cover member 8 can be moved in the Z-axis direction 12 by the third moving means 9 .

In the configuration as described above, by energizing the liquid between one electrode 41 and the other electrode 42, Joule heat is generated according to the resistance of the liquid. Joule heat can vaporize the liquid and generate a plasma. While the resistance of the liquid affects plasma generation, it is possible to adjust the Joule heat to be optimal for plasma generation by changing the conductivity of the liquid. In this embodiment, by using the second moving means 7, the amount of the electrode exposed from the insulating member 5 can be varied, thereby adjusting the Joule heat. That is, since the Joule heat can be adjusted by changing the exposed surface area of the electrodes, the Joule heat can be adjusted without changing the conductivity of the liquid, and a liquid whose conductivity cannot be changed can also be used. can.

In the case of a liquid with low conductivity, less current is passed through the liquid, so less Joule heat is generated, making it difficult to generate in-liquid plasma. In such a case, by increasing the exposed surface area of the electrodes, it is possible to increase the number of parallel electrical conduction paths of the liquid, increase the amount of Joule heat generated, and generate plasma. Also, it is expected that the size of the generated plasma ball can be adjusted by changing the distance between the electrodes and the exposed surface area.

Micrometers are used as the first moving means 6, the second moving means 7, and the third moving means 9, respectively. By using the micrometers in this way, fine adjustment becomes possible, and the optimum plasma generation is achieved. conditions can be found. Such an in-liquid plasma generator allows trial and error of plasma generation under various conditions, and is therefore suitable for use as an experimental apparatus. However, it is not limited to use as an experimental device, and can be widely used as a plasma generator.

The first moving means 6, the second moving means 7, and the third moving means 9 are attached to the lid portion 22, and the first micrometer 64, the second micrometer 72, and the third micrometer 92 are respectively attached to the lid portion. 22 outside. Therefore, the electrode 4, the insulating member 5, and the cover portion 8 can be moved from the outside of the device main body 2, so that the operability of the operator can be improved and safety can be ensured.

In this embodiment, the first moving means 6, the second moving means 7 and the third moving means 9 are manually operated, but they can also be electronically controlled using a control device. As the first moving means 6, the second moving means 7 and the third moving means 9, various members commonly used in this field can be used in combination.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 submerged plasma generator 2 device main body 3 container 4 electrode 5 insulating member 6 first moving means 7 second moving means 8 cover member 9 third moving means 11 X-axis direction 12 Z-axis direction 21 casing 22 lid

Claims (5)

a device main body, a container positioned in the device main body and capable of holding a liquid, a pair of electrodes held in the container and facing and spaced apart in the X-axis direction, covering the electrodes and covering the electrodes with respect to the X-axis a first moving means for moving the electrode and the insulating member in the X-axis direction; and a second moving means for moving the insulating member in the X-axis direction. An in-liquid plasma generator characterized by: a cover member positioned above the electrode and blocking a part of the flow of the liquid;
2. The in-liquid plasma generator according to claim 1, further comprising third moving means for moving said cover member in a Z-axis direction orthogonal to said X-axis direction. 2. The in-liquid plasma generator according to claim 1, wherein a part of said electrode protrudes from the tip of said insulating member. The device main body includes a housing and a lid,
4. The in-liquid plasma generator according to claim 1, wherein the first moving means and the second moving means are provided on the lid. The device main body includes a housing and a lid,
3. The in-liquid plasma apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the third moving means is provided on the lid.

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