Patent US3893845A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3893845A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for reducing matter to constituent elements and separating one of the elements from the other elements
Assignee: Boeing Co
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Filing: 1973-06-01
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Granted: 1975-07-08
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Expires: 1993-06-01
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for reducing matter, particularly chemical compounds, to constituent species in a high temperature environment (plasma) and separating one of the species from the other species. Reduction is effected by raising the input compound to a high temperature so that it is thermally dissociated. Reduction can also be effected by chemically reducing the compound to a gas consisting of a specie which can be more readily ionized and another product of the chemical reduction reaction. Separation is effected by partly ionizing one of the species to be separated and moving the resultant mixture of gas and plasma through a magnetic field (B). The magnetic field B is shaped so as to increase in intensity in the direction of flow of the gas and plasma. The plasma is squeezed by the magnetic field. Although the plasma tends to follow the magnetic field lines, there is some slippage across them. The net result is that the plasma is moving at a velocity (v) through a magnetic field B having vector components B perpendicular and parallel B to the plasma velocity vector. The interaction of the perpendicular (B ) and parallel (B ) components of the magnetic field with the ions and electrons in the plasma produces a separating force perpendicular to the direction of plasma flow the force tending to squeeze the plasma. The separating force acts upon the entire specie which is significantly ionized even though it is only partly ionized because of resonant charge exchange. The neutral or un-ionized specie is not directly affected by the magnetic field.
Inventors
- 👤 Derek W Mahaffey
- 👤 James E Drummond
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 22:07
CPC Classifications
C; C22; C22B; C22B4/00; C22B4/005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
188 words
A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A CONSTITUENT SPECIE FROM THE REMAINING SPECIES IN A GAS, SAID GAS BEING AT A TEMPERATURE WHERE THE SPECIE IS PARTLY IONIZED AND THE REMAINING SPECIES ARE INSIGNIFICANTLY IONIZED, COMPRISING: A. FLOWING SAID GAS ALONG A MAGNETIC FIELD B WHOSE FIELD INTENSITY INCREASES IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF GASEOUS FLOW, AND THE DIRECTION OF SAID MAGNETIC FIELD ALSO BEING IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF SAID GESEOUS FLOW, B. SPACING THE PLASMA OF PARTLY IONIZED SPECIE AT A POSITION REMOTE FROM THE WALL STRUCTURE OF A CONTAINING VESSEL AS IT FLOWS ALONG SAID MAGNETIC FIELD B, C.. APPLYING A FORCE F TO SAID PLASMA TO CONFINE IT TO A REGIO OF SPACE, SAID FORCE BEING CREATED BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE PLASMA AT AN ANGLE B RELATIVE TO THE MAGNETIC FIELD, D. PERMITTING THE CURRENT J CREATED BY THE INTERACTION OF THE MOVING ELCTRONS OF THE IONIZED SPECIE WITH THE PERPENDICULAR COMPONENT OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD B TO FLOW IN A CLOSED PATH, E. USING SAID CURRENT J FLOWING IN A CLOSED PTH TO INTERACT WITH THE PARALLEL COMPONENT B OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD B
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
188 words
A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A CONSTITUENT SPECIE FROM THE REMAINING SPECIES IN A GAS, SAID GAS BEING AT A TEMPERATURE WHERE THE SPECIE IS PARTLY IONIZED AND THE REMAINING SPECIES ARE INSIGNIFICANTLY IONIZED, COMPRISING: A. FLOWING SAID GAS ALONG A MAGNETIC FIELD B WHOSE FIELD INTENSITY INCREASES IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF GASEOUS FLOW, AND THE DIRECTION OF SAID MAGNETIC FIELD ALSO BEING IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF SAID GESEOUS FLOW, B. SPACING THE PLASMA OF PARTLY IONIZED SPECIE AT A POSITION REMOTE FROM THE WALL STRUCTURE OF A CONTAINING VESSEL AS IT FLOWS ALONG SAID MAGNETIC FIELD B, C.. APPLYING A FORCE F TO SAID PLASMA TO CONFINE IT TO A REGIO OF SPACE, SAID FORCE BEING CREATED BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE PLASMA AT AN ANGLE B RELATIVE TO THE MAGNETIC FIELD, D. PERMITTING THE CURRENT J CREATED BY THE INTERACTION OF THE MOVING ELCTRONS OF THE IONIZED SPECIE WITH THE PERPENDICULAR COMPONENT OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD B TO FLOW IN A CLOSED PATH, E. USING SAID CURRENT J FLOWING IN A CLOSED PTH TO INTERACT WITH THE PARALLEL COMPONENT B OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD B
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 including collecting the specie in a region of maximum field intensity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said plasma generally follows said magnetic field and the movement of the plasma at an angle B relative to the magnetic field is created by a random drift.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said gas is a dissociated compound and the ionized specie is a metal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the compound is alumina and the metal is aluminum.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the dissociated compound includes iron and the ionized specie is the iron.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the dissociated compound includes titanium and the ionized specie is the titanium.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the dissociated compound includes tin and the ionized specie is the tin.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the dissociated compound includes nickel and the ionized specie is the nickel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
225 words
The process of separating from each other a consituent specie and the remaining species in a composition of matter, comprising: a. heating said composition of matter to a temperature where it is in a gaseous state and a constituent specie is partly ionized; b. flowing said gas along a magnetic field B whose field intensity increases in the general direction of gaseous flow, and the direction of said magnetic field also being in the general direction of said gaseous flow; c. spacing the plasma of partly ionized constituent specie at a position remote from the wall structure of a containing vessel as it flows along said magnetic field B; d. applying a force F to said plasma to confine it to a region of space, said force being created by movement of parts of the plasma at a variety of angles Beta relative to the magnetic field; e. permitting the current J created by the interaction of the moving electrons of the ionized specie with the perpendicular component of the magnetiC field B to flow in a closed path; f. using said current J flowing in a closed path to interact with the parallel component B of the magnetic field B to generate the confining force F acting upon the partly ionized specie; and g. collecting the partly ionized specie apart from the remaining species.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
225 words
The process of separating from each other a consituent specie and the remaining species in a composition of matter, comprising: a. heating said composition of matter to a temperature where it is in a gaseous state and a constituent specie is partly ionized; b. flowing said gas along a magnetic field B whose field intensity increases in the general direction of gaseous flow, and the direction of said magnetic field also being in the general direction of said gaseous flow; c. spacing the plasma of partly ionized constituent specie at a position remote from the wall structure of a containing vessel as it flows along said magnetic field B; d. applying a force F to said plasma to confine it to a region of space, said force being created by movement of parts of the plasma at a variety of angles Beta relative to the magnetic field; e. permitting the current J created by the interaction of the moving electrons of the ionized specie with the perpendicular component of the magnetiC field B to flow in a closed path; f. using said current J flowing in a closed path to interact with the parallel component B of the magnetic field B to generate the confining force F acting upon the partly ionized specie; and g. collecting the partly ionized specie apart from the remaining species.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1954900A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-07-07 | 1979-01-06 | 1979-07-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-07-07 | 1983-01-06 | 1983-07-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-07-07 | 1987-01-06 | 1987-07-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |