tech project (Plasma Window)

For my technology project I have started my research on the technology of my choice. The technology I chose to research was a new type of window. This new type of window is the plasma window. The plasma window is an ionized gas, or a gas with charged particles confined by electric and magnetic fields, that, under special conditions, separates atmospheric pressure from a vacuum. The plasma window, in which hot gas particles are trapped by electric and magnetic fields, prevents air from rushing into a vacuum chamber. At 12,000o Celsius (21,632oFarenheit), the plasma window is about 300 times as hot as the air at room temperature. This intense heat makes the ionized atoms and molecules move around faster and collide more often with air molecules, thus stopping most of them when they try to pass through the plasma window. Also, since the plasma window matches atmospheric pressure with only one-fortieth its density, less air pressure can escape from it into the vacuum, which is supposed to be devoid of pressure.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS

Electron-beam welding is used for piecing together metal parts in airplanes, ships, scientific equipment and semiconductors. Since existing nonvacuum electron-beam welders have dispersed electron beams, they are not focused enough for high-quality welds or to reach crevices. In-vacuum welding overcomes this problem, but the vacuum system limits the size of the assemblies to be welded. The plasma window facilitates high-quality, nonvacuum electron-beam welding at production rates that are at least twice as fast as in-vacuum welding. At an hourly operating cost of $150 for an electron-beam welder, production-cost savings would be substantial.
The plasma window can also aid in the operation of electron-beam melting, a method frequently used to recover scrap metals from recycled materials. The new invention effectively increases operating pressure of the electron-beam furnace tenfold. High pressure in the furnace prevents the evaporation of valuable metal alloys.